A Second Revolution
by Asaki
Summary: The Gundam Wing boys and crew are older now, but still there is tension between Earth and the Colonies. They must return to help, but there are major changes in their lives, including......? Please R&R!!!
1. Part 1

Intro:  
Three years after the last problem was resolved, another political crisis has arisen. The colonies no longer wish to participate with Earth's laws and rules. They felt that freedom meant "Total Liberty", or complete control over their colony's well being. Earth could not interfere, they said, with the government of each colony. A revolt, led by Zunir Trobelevski, began this revolution by herding troops. He became their leader and gave himself the name: Zuni Monotriese, leader of the Zumin. He was dreadful. Soon people began to see that he wanted dictatorship, but still he had his followers. He wanted to eliminate all Earth-born and the planet Earth. He began to destroy all records of Earth's history. That's when five young men stepped in, and. . . .  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
Heero was sitting on a bench in a park, reading a schoolbook. He had been transferred for his final year in high school one last time. He had thought that this would be the last. After turning sixteen, the war had been over. Now nearing eighteen, he was going to graduate and make his way through college, begin a new future without the Gundams and all that came with it. He sighed. Those days were so hectic, yet somehow he almost missed it all. And oddly enough, he actually, well, missed Relena Peacecraft.  
He was astonished that he should have feelings for another person, let alone that girl! He often wondered why he couldn't bring himself to kill her. She had been a hindrance from the start, and probably would continue to be.  
He decided to go back to his room and send emails to a few friends. A sudden reminder of Duo, Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei passed through his mind. He groaned. Why couldn't he forget them all? He reached the quiet of his dormitory and began to type on his computer.  
All of a sudden, an image popped up on the screen.  
"Hey! How's it goin', Heero?"  
"Huh?!" Heero was taken aback. There was Duo's face, grinning like a madman, talking to him? This was going too far. He rubbed his eyes, hard. The face remained. "Is that you, Duo Maxwell?"  
"Who other?"  
Heero smiled slightly, but not much. He then returned to his normal, stern stare. "Long time no see, Zero Two."  
Duo thought, "What's he doing calling me Zero Two? Those days are over. . .hey, what the heck, why not?" He continued to grin. "Yeah, bud. How's it going for you over there? Any girls?" A mischievous look crossed his face.  
Heero again was surprised. Why, of all things, would he ask about girls? "Nothing new. This school is pretty much the same as the rest. How about you?"  
"You didn't answer my entire question yet."  
Heero didn't sigh, but he wanted to. Even if Duo was probably his closest friend, he wasn't going to admit it, and furthermore, he definitely wasn't going to tell him about Relena. "Nothing new," he replied lamely for the second time.  
Duo laughed. He laughed; laughed at Heero! "Well, I can see now there's nothing new. . .just like you said!" He finally sobered up, but was still smiling. "Dr. Jay sent me an urgent message this morning, since he couldn't get you to message him. You must have been really busy." A small snicker could be heard in the background. Duo could not help smiling, but tried to hide it so it came out lopsided.   
"What?!?" Heero asked, not believing what Duo just said. "Why?" He was a little shocked, but Duo didn't see it in his face, he heard it in his voice.  
Duo looked to the side, as if another person or other people were there. Heero heard a little whispering, and then Duo nodded to the side. "There is another conflict with the universal peace."  
*groan* Why did this always happen? "What do we have to do?" he demanded.  
Duo shook his head. "I don't know yet. We have to wait to receive orders; not all of us will fight this time. And we won't be using our Gundams. They've got something new for us, I think."  
Heero thought this all over in his mind. What happened? Lately he hadn't been paying much attention to the stuff. He only wanted to have a break from it; an extended vacation. And now this was happening. A disturbance in universal peace? What was going on?   
"Heero! You have a visitor!" Duo called from the screen. "Heero! Heero! Earth to Heero!"  
"Huh!?" Heero exclaimed, broken from his thoughts. He glared, not knowing what else to do in response.  
"I said, you have a visitor," another voice said from the speaker. There was no person on the view screen. Heero focused on the female voice. Why did it sound familiar?  
"Don't you remember me, Heero?" the girl asked, a little brokenly. A beautiful face filled the screen. Heero looked at her carefully. Could it really be Relena?  
"Relena Peacecraft. Yes, I remember you," he answered slowly. It was her! And she wasn't a little girl anymore. She was more beautiful than ever. He did not show any signs of missing her. His face remained emotionless.  
She smiled. It was a lovely smile. Her blue eyes were brighter now, and she began to ask questions. "How are you? How is your new school? How are things? Is anything wrong? Do you need anything?" she fussed like a mother hen, but Heero wasn't listening. He was only watching her. Her movements were graceful and flowed like water. She paused, as if she asked a question and waited. Heero, noticing, snapped out of it and asked, "Huh?"  
"I said, what are you doing now?" She looked a little upset. Heero almost frowned.  
"Nothing, nothing at all. Why?" He was beginning to get curious, and let on to it.  
He let on a little too much. She grinned, and became as mischievous looking as Duo, who stuck his head so Heero could see him on the screen.  
Duo answered his question. "Because we're now right outside your door. Let us in!" As soon as he finished speaking, three hard raps were applied to the door. Heero glared at Duo and glanced at the door.   
"Both of you?" he asked.  
"And Trowa and Quatre. We couldn't get Wufei, he's visiting in China at the moment." A large green-blue eye peered in the small, portable view screen, and a shock of brown hair was rudely pushed into its way.  
"Heero Yuy. Hello again." It was Trowa, more warm-sounding than he ever had been in his entire piloting career.  
"Hey Heero! I'm glad to see you so well," Quatre addressed Heero from behind Trowa.  
Duo knocked again, this time five times. "Are you going to be rude and keep us waiting?"  
Heero shook his head. He whispered to himself, "No, I was going to be horrid and leave you out there." But of course, he didn't, and he answered the door like any normal gentleman, only he wasn't normal.  
Relena practically fell in. "Heero!" [she almost hugged him, too, but he shied away to the side in one movement so it did not look too obvious but Trowa's eyebrows went up]  
Relena did not know it was purposeful; it looked as if Heero was letting them in all the way and was about to shut the door behind them. So she did not feel put off in any way, which was good for Heero though he did not really know it at the moment.  
Trowa announced that he would be getting a drink of water and disappeared. Heero wondered how he knew where everything was in his little room, but didn't bother to ask questions. There were more important things to do.  
"So, I gather we have a situation. What was the message exactly?" Heero said, glancing first at Duo, then Quatre.  
Quatre answered. "We can view the message from the computer." He walked over, and again Heero wondered why he knew where he kept his computer. The dormitory consisted of four rooms: a kitchenette (as small one at that), a small bedroom, a bathroom, and a small study. It was a cozy living area for a student such as he.  
Duo pulled up the message and Heero regarded it with cold silence while he weighted the situation and the circumstances.  
He grimly asked the inevitable question. "Who is the fifth pilot if Wufei will not cooperate?"  
Quatre shuffled his feet and looked down. Duo kept looking from side to side, waiting for Trowa to come back. Relena just stood still, taking in the surroundings and Heero's health and how he was doing.  
After no answer, Heero sat himself down and wondered about it. The fifth pilot had to be someone they knew pretty well, and they had to be trained in the military arts, of course. Who could such a person be? There were plenty in the enemy ranks, but they couldn't be of any use to them. Finally Trowa walked in.  
A glance at Duo told Trowa that Heero had asked the question. He sighed. They had agreed he would tell Heero. "Heero, it is Relena."  
Heero's eyebrows shot up, and that was all. Relena looked apologetic, and her brow was furrowed with worry. She did not know how he would react.  
He did not say anything for a long while. When he could muster a voice that wasn't a hard, slicing, cold malicious voice, he asked shortly, "Who chose Relena?" When he said Relena, there was a tone of disbelief overriding the briefness of his manner.  
Relena was not too pleased with his attitude, but what could she say? "Dr. Jei himself, Heero. We had no say in this."  
Heero did not doubt her ability to fight or to help them, but he was certainly worried about her well being. He couldn't kill her before; why should someone else kill her for him? He wouldn't let them. They just couldn't kill Relena...that was his job.  
Duo watched his face. He couldn't see much, but his eyes were betraying him. He could tell the conflicting emotions tugging at all corners of Heero's mind. He decided to try to ease the problem.  
"Relena is perfectly trained and will be able to defend herself should a problem arise. She is as good as any one of us. Dr. Jay has seen to her training," Duo assured Heero. Heero looked at him, then at Relena. He had already cleared his eyes, noting that Duo saw through him completely. He couldn't let that happen again.  
He shook his head. "I don't doubt she can take care of herself, but" he left off, realizing how close he would have been to telling his feelings. This wasn't like him at all. What was wrong? He shook his head again, then took it into his hands and ran his fingers through his now ruffled hair.  
Trowa also noticed the hesitation in Heero's manner. It all depended on what he decided. Relena could not become another pilot if Heero did not agree. "Take your time," Trowa said softly and sat at the computer. He checked his mail, then gave it over to Duo, who checked his mail, then Quatre his. Relena just sat on the edge of the bed, wringing her hands. Finally, she could stand it no longer.  
"Heero, don't you like me anymore? What did I ever do wrong? Can't I help you?" she cried out piteously. She was so distraught that Heero relented, a rare thing.  
"I guess it would be okaybut as soon as something happens, you get sent back. Understood?" he said slowly, knowing this was probably the biggest mistake he would ever make, all to a girl's cries.  
"Oh Heero!" she practically sobbed. She ran over and hugged him, the exact emotion she wanted to do since arriving.   
The other three pretended to be absorbed in a computer game because Heero wasn't exactly blocking off the hug, he actually hugged back in an off-hand way. (this, of course, made Relena more relaxed and quite happy...) The three mutely agreed that it better not be mentioned again laterthey didn't want to spoil anything, nor did they know what could occur to them should they say anything.  
When Relena finally released the now half-suffocated Heero, he was very baffled at what he had just done. What was he doing, hugging her back? What was going on? He never felt like this before, and yet it seemed all so familiar. He once again decided to let it slip this once. He would think about it again when time wasn't so important. He stepped into his normal self and became Heero Yuy, Gundam Pilot 01 of Wing Zero.  
"Mission accepted. Where to?" he proclaimed coldly.  
Duo looked up in surprise. Now it was his turn to feel awkward. "Well, Heero, looks like you've gotten ready to leave. We're not going anywhere just yet."  
Heero could feel his impatience rising within him. "What do you mean? Not just yet? Explain yourself more thoroughly the first time so we don't lose any valuable seconds."  
"We have orders to lodge in your dormitory rooms until Thursday. That is why we know the layout of your rooms so well," Quatre explained apologetically. "We brought our belongings with us. I hope you don't mind."  
Heero didn't answer. If he did mind, what did that matter? He couldn't do a thing about it. They were the orders and to sucessfully complete a mission he must obey all of them, even ones he did not think were necessary or even correct.  
Trowa and Duo left to gather their things, and Quatre sat down to explain in full detail again what the mission actually was. Relena listened with half an ear because she had already known the most vital parts.  
"We will stay in hiding in your rooms until Thursday, which is two days from now. At eight p.m. on Thursday, we are to attend a meeting at the Apolex Atrium in America. Our flight is to take off from Tokyo at six-thirty p.m. It is a private, single-stop flight." Quatre paused to take a breath and to learn Heero's reaction and Relena's approval to go on. When Heero didn't object, Relena nodded to tell Quatre he was telling it correctly and could continue.  
Quatre was relieved to see Heero so submissive. "So, as you see, Japan is one day ahead of America in terms of time so leaving on Thursday, we should arrive on Thursday. The one stop we shall make is in San Francisco to meet Dr. Jei and to board a freshly re-fueled aircraft."  
Heero nodded. It seemed very logical. "What is this meeting for?" he questioned, still curious about the reasoning of this particular mission.  
Again, Quatre looked uncomfortable with all the questioning. "I really couldn't tell you because--"   
He was cut off by an impatient wave of Heero's hand. Relena didn't look too pleased to see Heero's mood spoiled by that one answer. "Spare me excuses. Go on," Heero demanded.  
Eager to go on, Quatre continued in rapid speech. "After the meeting we are to stay at Westin Hotel in Chicago. The meeting is in Texas, so after San Francisco we'll go to Austin, then take a non-stop private flight to Chicago, Illinois. There are two adjoining rooms, but we have sleeping bags and the like along with us." Quatre stopped abruptly when Trowa and Duo loudly barged into the room with heaps of belongings and boxes full of odds and ends.  
"What is this?" Heero exclaimed. He definitely was not acting himself. This was not like him at all and he knew it. But what was changing him? Was it being with old friends? Relena? Or had he changed while he was separated from missions and battle?  
Trowa looked at him curiously, and then replied in a matter-of-fact way, "We never traveled light, Heero."  
Quatre stole a sideways glance with Duo and Relena. Had Heero changed, or was it just him? They would have to find out for the safety of carrying out their mission. 


	2. Part 2

Five young pilots dressed in simple black garb scurried along dark alleyways, each carrying satchels, carpetbags, backpacks, and odd packages. It was an odd sight, if one was looking at this queer procession. The four former Gundam pilots and Relena Peacecraft were making their way to the local airport in the small Japanese town.  
"This sure is heavy," Duo groaned, heaving a large army sack onto his other shoulder while balancing a carpetbag with the other hand.  
Quatre agreed. "Yeah, but we're going to need everything we brought. There wasn't anything we could've taken out."  
"Like a Playstation. You definitely couldn't take that out," Relena said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. But soon she was giggling because she was no better, bringing suitcases and suitcases of coats and dresses she would not need and all sorts of "girl stuff" as Quatre and Trowa called it.  
Heero was not amused. "You brought the Playstation on a mission?" he asked, not at all surprised at Duo and Quatre. They always brought a source of entertainment, never failing to use any spare time dawdling over some sort of game. No doubt they had millions of computer games and DVDs to use with the laptop.  
Duo grinned and looked sideways. He didn't say anything because he knew Heero expected no answer for that particular question. Heero himself joined in most of the time, anyway.  
Soon they arrived at the tiny air base. An eight-seating plane plus cockpit sat waiting for them. They were early, however, and had to hide to wait. A forest of bushes and trees took care of that, though they had a mad scuffle tripping over roots and fallen branches in the darkness of the trees. They had to be absolutely quiet and had to take extreme caution in where they stepped and set down their possessions. It was not easy.  
"Ooomph!" Relena exclaimed as she bumped into someone. A chorus of "sshhh" came out quite loudly, causing a little uproar of laughter, snorts, giggles, and choking.   
Heero decided to become the lead once again. This was not going well. "Be quiet!" he hissed, glaring. Although no one could see him, they knew he had glared and promptly shut up.  
As soon as six p.m. rolled around, the five were standing in the open light and were making their way towards the airport entrance. They were greeted by attendants and stewards who checked their baggage and sent them aboard the plane. All five were cautious and watched their every move and where their bags went. There were no mishaps.  
Aboard the plane, Heero had the laptop out. He wanted to analyze Relena's training tactics and her military features and techniques. This information was vital to the success of the mission. His everlasting goal was to complete any and every mission he accepted with success.  
He stared at the screen with disbelief. In long-distance range battle, she came second only to Trowa himself. The mobile suit she used was called the Cylix Arabesque, and it boasted two auto-missile locks in front, a triple-laser beam on either arm, and a self-retracting revolving razor. The Gundanium alloy shield all five Gundams used was also her source of blocking. A Greek Arabesque was intricately carved upon it, hence the name Arabesque.  
Her short-range fighting was also exceptional. She tied with Duo and Quatre, but using both the triple laser and the razor she could beat all of them. She also had something the older Gundams did not have; a cylix-looking double-back shield which could also be used as another device still new to Heero. Her mobile suit was more technologically advanced in many ways, and did not seem at all like the Gundams.  
Duo, who sat next to Heero on his right, peered at the screen. "So, you're checking her status, eh? She's pretty good, isn't she?" He nudged Heero, waiting for the answer.  
"I guess she is," Heero replied softly, still reading about her techniques. "Though if we had a try at the Arabesque, I'll bet we'd be even better."  
"You bet we would," Duo breathed, then paused, unsure whether or not to go on. He took a stab and went on. "We've already tried it. It was we that tested them all out before she even set foot inside the Arabesque," Duo commented, looking out past Heero into the clouds. "There's never been anything like it, nothing that I've seen could compare. The grace and agility it shows is nothing like mecha could ever be. There's something else about it, too. It's seems to be so alive...it's hard to explain."  
Heero looked at Duo. So much he had missed in the past two years. "What else do you know about these revolutionary mobile suits?"  
Duo asked for the laptop and pulled up a file. It explained the Arabesque in more detail, but then he moved into personal folders. He stopped at Heero's, scanned the screen for something, entered a code and some passwords, and handed it back to him. "This is your own Germanic Gundanium Wing."  
Heero again looked as though he did not believe what he was seeing. It could not be possible; he, who hadn't trained for the Germanic Gundam, was given his own. A thought occurred in his mind. "Do all five of us have a Germanic Gundam?"  
Duo vaguely motioned towards the others. "Quatre's and mine are still in the process of being finished. The Arabesque was the first, then yours, then Trowa's. Your Gerdam [Germanic Gundam] is Phoelis Wing-Break, and it has much more power than the Arabesque and was made to assimilate with Wing Zero's systems."  
Heero took the information in. Duo kept rambling on as he read the screen carefully, but most of the things he said were what was in the file folder. There was no cylix on the back of Phoelis Wing-Break, though it could transform into an all-type compatible [space/air/land/water] craft. It was smaller than Wing Zero, but it was much more powerful, as Duo had mentioned. Heero did not know the extent of its agility and reflex reactions, but he hoped to soon be able to fight with it.  
At around eight-thirty p.m., a late dinner was served. Udon tempura, gohan rolls with different types of sushi, and green tea was the meal plan. Not bad, but the cooking wasn't too good. They were as paranoid as ever with the food.  
Duo swung a fried tempura in front of Relena's face, watching it twist with disgust. "Relena doesn't like sea food!" he laughed.  
Heero snatched it away and put it on the plate, glaring. Duo glanced at him, but he was still laughing.   
Trowa ignored them completely, being in a triple bucket seat behind them. Quatre twisted around at the noise, and a small quirk in the corner of his mouth must be noted. He sat just ahead of them.  
Soon after that meal, they took turns sleeping. Not all of them could all sleep at one time should something happen while they were asleep. Poisoning, sleep pills, injections, hi-jacking, anything could happen while they drowsed. So Heero and Trowa took first shift, to be followed by Duo and Quatre, then Relena and Heero, and finally Quatre and Trowa. They all took restless naps, however, and none of them really got much sleep.  
At eleven a.m. on Thursday morning in America, the plane had landed and the five were standing in the busy airport, waiting for some sort of signal from Dr. Jei. They knew he would make it as inconspicuous as possible and were very vigilant.  
Oddly enough, Heero had one of Relena's bags in addition to his own hefty pile of belongings and the laptop plus the accessories. The other three, fortunately for Heero, were much too tired and jet-lagged to notice, though Heero scarcely noticed himself. They could barely keep their watch, but finally a voicemail slid into the laptop and they received the message.  
"Baggage claim gate four at Aer Lingus," Dr. Jei's voice crackled through. His image was barely visible on the screen, and soon a little eye appeared and took them all in. A sigh was heard, then, "I'll see you sorry set of pilots there in five minutes. Code-nickname. End."  
Heero looked around at his little crew and began to walk, well, actually, more like trudge. They followed doggedly, dragging their bags and satchels along with no grace whatsoever.   
Dr. Jei spotted them before they even started looking. "Well, well, well! My four pilots plus a lovely young girl!" He gave Heero a quick once-over, but it was a warm look, not cold. He nodded his approval. He had grown taller, and was still as muscular and wiry as usual.  
Duo smiled, but it was a small, tired one. Heero didn't glare for once, Trowa just looked at him, and Quatre yawned. Only Relena wasn't too tired to talk. In fact, she wanted to talk but she knew it was not safe to speak of their mission openly.  
She ventured to ask a question. She figured it couldn't hurt to ask a little one of no importance. "When shall we be leaving, Doctor?"  
Dr. Jei turned to this fresh young girl. She looked at him with pure innocence and charm. He wondered what Heero actually thought of her, but brushed it off quickly knowing Heero didn't care about such things, only his training and missions. "Soon, very soon, 'Lena." They were speaking on nickname terms, as determined before. Except for Trowa. They would use his last name due to difficulties making a nickname up for him. [example: Trow, Row, Rowa, Barow]  
Another large private airplane awaited them at gate G23, the very last gate in the Southwest Airlines section. They were soon on their way to Austin, Texas.  
"What kind of food is this?" Quatre asked, a little dubious about the airplane food. He poked at it with his metal fork.  
Duo answered between large bites, loud chewing, and gulps of pop. "American food...it's good!" He had to pause while he took a long slug of his Pepsi. "It's not so bad, at least, for airplane food. See, this is a sandwich..." he began to explain.  
Heero once again got the window seat, with Trowa next to him, then Relena. Across the aisle sat Dr. Jei, then Quatre, then Duo at the window. Heero stared at the huge, billowy cloud-tops and the sun's brilliant rays dancing across the make-believe towers and castles. What was this meeting for? He felt as if he were the only person in the world who didn't know what was going on in Texas. He had been away for too long...but yet again Duo and Quatre hadn't been with the team all the time, either. Quatre went back to his people for a year, and Duo to America for about eight months. Trowa remained in Japan with Heero, though they were separated almost the entire time. Wufei visited each of the two in Japan twice, then left for China once again to stay.  
It couldn't be said that Wufei was traitor. He wasn't, but he didn't come when summoned on mission though he promised when needed he would come like the true soldier he was. And yet he hadn't shown up. He had been replaced by a young and inexperienced pilot, who, in the most grievous of circumstances, would probably be called unworthy and only a girl. But she was better than that, and Wufei wasn't here to protest, anyway.  
He had built himself a nice house, and he now had a part time job working in business while juggling school and his swordplay and martial arts practice. If he were normal, within a few years he would probably own the business himself and would not have to go to school. He would grow old and wealthy, and retire a happy man who led a successful life. But this was Wufei. He was trained as a warrior and he would always be one. He would never really settle, and, in actuality, he probably wouldn't be able to with all the traumas of his life so far. Or that was what everyone thought, which of course we'll never know.   
Heero's mind was bogged down with all sorts of notions, ideas, piles of information, and of course, Relena. Would he ever rid himself entirely of that girl? He supposed he wouldn't, but what harm could it do? His death, that was for certain.  
At the Austin airport, they were picked up by a limo and taken to the Apolex Atrium. A meeting on the peace alliances with the colonies was being held. Heero held his breath while a young man by the name of Koron Buneidinay took the stand. He was the brother of Heero's engineering and mechanics instructor, Teron Buneidinay. His voice reminded Heero distantly of Lady Une, a former enemy.  
"Today we are met to discuss a matter of great importance. The space colonies want freedom from Earth's grasp. This is not possible, yet not impossible. I will get right to the point. We need to take action against this rebellion or all of Earth will be crushed and destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of years of hard work will be burnt to a cinder by their wrath. We must do whatever it takes to quiet these angry people! I claim military action is needed for peace." He paused dramatically before concluding his short speech. "That is all I have to say." He saluted, then walked stiffly off the podium and down the steps into the committee. He took his seat.  
A woman with short, spiky red hair stood up abruptly. "Peace can be found with no war-like actions!" she called out. Many people cheered in agreement with her, but the majority stayed either neutral or waged war against the colonies. None of the now "Gerdam pilots" said anything, and remained mute and listened closely. Relena was to speak later on.  
The meeting went on. Relena's turn came up too quickly. She groaned softly before standing up and walking to the podium. Heero and Dr. Jei accompanied her. The remaining three gave their good luck out to her.  
Relena took a deep breath and began. "The colonies are upset at our actions. What is the reason they are upset, my fellow committee? Have we sought to see from their point of view?" She then paused for a breath, and noticing her voice was shaking a little, she steadied it and went on. "They believe we are taking over. Are we really? Have we done anything to help the situation?" Her eyes scanned the hushed crowds of people watching, listening. "I believe that we can reach some sort of agreement, a resolution, if you may, by use of peace," she concluded. Heero gave a curt nod, and the three walked off the stage.  
"Wait!" Koron Buneidinay called out. Relena paused, partway down the steps. "How do we know our kindness will be replied in the same manner? We are asking for trouble, seeking peace with such vermin as Monotriese. Is that what we want? Committee? Do you hear? Is that what we want?"  
The entire crowd was moved by both speeches. Some were confused. Who was right? Who was wrong? Could both ways be the right way? There was only one way to success. Whom should they follow? Peace or war? 


	3. Part 3

With the committee split with differentiating opinions, the Zumin took the great advantage. Bases were formed both in space, on several colonies, and even on Earth. They were hidden from any sonar or radars, and could only be sought and found with special instruments, which the New Alliance did not have possession of. This posed to be a major problem for the New Alliance.  
Dr. Jei was most upset with the reception and protests to Relena's well thought-out speech they had practiced for hours on end each day. He did not believe in waging war until necessary, and in truth, that was the way things should be. But the people of the New Alliance were new members; they were both willful and headstrong. Their basic idea of overcoming this matter was to push out the Zumin for good, no matter the cost nor the consequences. With that attitude, all would be destroyed much quicker than to try a hand at peace.  
"I cannot believe the people wish to wage war," Dr. Jei muttered for the millionth time. "We must somehow sway their thoughts. We cannot risk total destruction before it is actually time. I leave it to you. So long!"  
The five watched in astonishment as Dr. Jei called a cab and waved a goodbye. He was almost out of sight when suddenly he called out, "Hangar 5, Heero! Hangar 5!" The dark tinted window rolled up, and that was the last of him for a long while.  
"Hangar 5," Heero said in wonderment and utter despair. "Where is Hangar 5? Drat [or another word...^_^] that Dr. Jei! How am I supposed to find--"   
He was cut off shortly by a blast behind them. Lucrezia Noin appeared, pulling Hilde along with her. They hopped off the motorcycle and stood looking the five over.  
"I am going to take you there, Heero." She turned to Hilde. "Give them the map, would you please?"  
Hilde pulled out a sheaf of papers and handed them over to Heero. "Hi, Duo," she said slyly, smiling as she returned to Noin's side.  
Duo barely managed to wave a hello back to her when Heero made a noise between a choke, laugh, groan, and gasp. They all turned to look at him curiously.   
[what do you think? LoL, almost seems as if Heero was the one Hilde was talking to...nope, not this time! But maybe later...^_^heheh]  
Heero was shuffling through the papers like a madman, seemingly searching for some missing piece. "The coordinates here, here! Here, and here!"  
The others looked at him as if he were really crazy. [although they all are...that's besides the point, right?] Duo's eyebrows went up, and Hilde giggled.  
Noin glanced at him. "I do not know what you feel about this, but we need to hurry. Are you ready?" Four nods comfirmed this.  
Heero looked up. "It isn't very far," he commented, still going through the black-and-white small-print documents.  
Noin just laughed. "No, not really. But we decided it would throw the others off. But we really do need to leave now. The other members will soon be filing out from their refreshments." She laughed again, but this time it was more harsh-sounding.  
"Where is the base?" Quatre asked cautiously, aware that wherever it was, it wasn't very pleasant. That is, as he judged from Heero's reactions. You never knew with Heero Yuy and his facial expressions.  
Relena tried to lean over Heero's shoulder, but to no avail. She couldn't see the papers very well on the slightly overcast day. And anyway, last time she saw him, he was already taller than her. And he had grown, too.  
Heero was not oblivious to her futile attempt at snaring a glance at the papers. He glanced behind him, noted that she was blushing madly with embarrassment, and then decided they should all see them.  
He laid them out carefully along the tiled mosaic flooring in the reception atrium. It was not completely closed in, but fortunately it was not a windy day. Most of the people from the meeting were in the dining room yabbering and eating refreshments. The five did not bother with food and got straight to work.  
"See here, this is where we are." He looked at each of them to make sure they saw what he was speaking of. "This is the airlock. And here's the lift. Got it?" He paused and looked at Noin. The lift was a locked and security-laden piece of machinery. They would need both codes and passwords, not to mention keys and special ids. There were two lifts; one on this floor, then another on the lower level in which you must cross to the other side with more passwords and keys to the second lift.  
Noin vaguely answered the question. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it, Heero. We need to hurry!" She waved her hands the punctuate that haste was indeed vital.  
They hurried along. Heero wondered what the lifts were like. Of course, these were no ordinary lifts. You had to have an oxygen mask in the airlock upon entering the lift and exiting the lift. The second lock required control radars to be placed atop the head for security reasons. And security was definitely needed for the locking of the world's top piece of destruction, the Gerdams.  
They made it to the entryway to the airlock. Masks were put on, and then a series of ability tests were taken. In order to get inside, one must cross a corridor of flooring that had missing pieces. If you fell through, you were immediately sent back outside by transporter. The second corridor was a pattern. You must remember your pattern and make your way among lit and colored tiles. One false move and you were sent back outside for good. The third and final corridor was ice and water. The ice pieces moved in and out, back and forth. If a part of your body or clothing touched the water, it was dematerialized and you would find yourself dripping wet and back at the entryway, denied your entrance forever.  
The chief difficulty was their belongings. They hadn't travelled with only money and the clothes on their back; they had much more. Packs were available at the gateway entrance, however, whatever they did they could not manage to correctly stuff their items into the bags. When Heero saw that Relena was about to say she wasn't going a step without certain things, he threw out half his stuff to accomodate her bags in his pack. Little things like that weren't as noticeable to the others who had their own problems, to Heero's everlasting relief.  
Noin, however, noticed, but she didn't say anything. When Heero wasn't looking, she winked at Relena, who was then confused. Afterwards, she often asked herself why Noin had winked. She would have to ask her later.  
Hilde was arguing with Duo as to how he should pack his stuffs into the large pack. Of course, being a very organized girl, she knew how to put things in such a way so that more items could be packed. Duo argued that he had done this many times before and could manage well enough without doing some of the things Hilde advised him to do. Heero couldn't help turning his nose down at this little annoying scene. They were really close friends, and maybe as close as brother and sister. But with that closeness came disputes and disagreements that all siblings have.  
Quatre was a little nervous about the whole thing. He wasn't necessarily emotionally stable, but he was well off enough for one of the pilots. He always had something to fall back upon, though to him it wasn't the world. Trowa, his counterpart, was even more emotionally drained, although he wasn't nervous at all. Well, if couldn't be said he was perfectly calm, either. He was neutral and emotionless, as usual.  
Noin guided them through the first corridor. It was fairly easy, although Hilde did lose her balance once and Duo had to catch her, which then caused a disturbing scene of tripping, falling over, and plenty of last-mintue catching. [a-HEM!]  
For the memory corridor, they took turns in case one of them forgot and another would be able to help. Noin went first, then Heero. Relena was about to go when Noin suddenly cried out: "Relena! Wait! It hasn't blinked!"  
Relena stopped midstep. Heero whirled around the minute he hit the safe-point at the end. His eyes met hers, full of despair and worry. It was an odd sight; one never saw emotion in Heero at all. Now it was all different. Why? None of them knew any such reason or answer to that question.  
Duo watched the scene in silence. Whatever Heero was doing with himself was his own business. After many years of knowing Heero, one learned that you cannot meddle into his affairs. It just wouldn't work. Quatre was curious, but being the well-bred and the gentleman, he did not ask. Trowa noted this little scene and decided to keep it to himself like all other things. He must not act upon impulse or emotion, which was to ask Heero about it. He couldn't. It wasn't his way of doing things, especially on a mission. So he kept it inside, pondering it over and over.  
Relena was still flustered at almost endangering the mission by eliminating herself from it. She was also rather afraid that she would be separated from Heero forever. She would just die if that should happen. After the two years of not seeing him, she almost killed herself, looking and searching for him. Noin knew, being there for her all the time. She watched her grow up. It was difficult, but she stayed there not only because it was Relena's brother's orders, but also because she wanted to.  
The yellow light flickered. Left foot yellow. Up three, down two, right four. Right foot green. RED LIGHT, please stop. Left foot yellow, up three, down two, right four, right foot green, blue left, orange right, up two, down six...Relena was doing well so far.  
She had almost made it when Heero cried out in alarm. She stopped, again foot in midair. She almost cried when she saw her mistake. She was supposed to wait for the person prior to receive her at the gate. She had almost stepped into the ivory box, which was still empty because Heero had been watching her every move intently on the way down to make sure he'd be able to help.  
Heero came to the box and opened the transparent laser gate. She was so delicate, so graceful. He wanted to pick her up and whirl her away off her feet, like a little dance. But he couldn't. He just couldn't. His emotions were a disaster; he was both thinking of safety and the mission and everything that came along with it, yet he still was thinking solely on Relena for the most part. He had to stay focused, he just had to. But he couldn't. He'd have to kill her. It was his first intention, and it would probably be his last.  
Relena was about to give him a hug when his eyes hardened over. They looked just as they used to; cold and emotionless. He dropped the gate down once more and walked out mutely.  
Relena was baffled as she watched the tall, muscular, and wiry frame clothed in deep blue jeans and a black v-neck with a dark-blue button-up shirt left completely unbuttoned. [oooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh......] She waited at the gate for Hilde to come across.  
There were no problems until Quatre took his first step. Hovering on one foot, his pack shifted and he lost his balance. Crying out, he vaporized and disappeared on the spot. All of them cried out, including Trowa. He was last to come, and he was beginning to get extremely skeptical of this entire mission. As he watched in horror as his friend vanished from his sight, he grew anxious to get this all over with. He came over rapidly, hardly pausing where the signs said to pause. As a result, the receiving box where Duo was waiting remained closed for a good long ten minutes, for two reasons. Number one, Quatre was supposed to receive him, number two, Trowa was hasty, and the computer did not believe that hasty people should be admitted to be a Gerdam pilot.  
For a while, the six remaining mourned the loss of Quatre. [almost sounds as if he died! ^_^ sorry...] He would never again be able to pilot any Gundam or any Gerdam. He would be denied any relations to any of the mecha and mobile suits made by the New Alliance. He was forbidden because of skill, although he had as much skill as the others. It was pure bad luck on him.  
They had to move on, and move on they did. The final corridor was of extreme difficulty. Only those who would be great pilots and those who did not hesitate or falter by chance would make it. This proved a great challenge to all the mental states of the remaining people and pilots.  
They went in twos. First it was Noin and Trowa. Quickly hopping in the two-laned [one in each lane] water-filled pool, speed, agility, endurance, and breathing came into play. They had thirty seconds to complete the round. Neither of them made it, coming in at 33 and 31 seconds.  
Hilde and Duo went next. Hilde faltered at one step and Duo cried out: "You have to make it!" It buoyed her confidence, but to no avail. She missed it by two seconds and had touched down once. Duo passed with flying colors, being from a background of running and stealing. You had to be fast when you stole. If you weren't, you didn't get anything and you plain starved for days on end. He learned to run fast the hard way.  
Heero and Relena came. Heero came in at 26, Relena at 29 1/2, barely making it. This time, he let her hug him, but he did not hug back. Again, Duo watched this scene with a little amusement, but he was too busy wondering what would happen to Noin, Trowa, and Hilde on the other side. [they had automatically been sent back after not making it]  
Noin spoke first, a little husky. "I am sorry I cannot be there to guide you, Princess Relena, Heero, Duo. I--"  
She was cut off by Hilde. "Duo! I'll miss you! I promise to do my best...whatever it is I'll have to do. I'll do everything for you! I promise!" she cried, then turned her back to them. She wasn't sobbing; she wasn't that type of person. She just turned and soon enough she disapppeared as Quatre had before.  
"Hilde!" Duo managed to choke as she dispersed into the air. Heero and Relena both looked at him sympathetically, but he wasn't really paying attention. Trowa was talking to all of them.  
He was looking down and his voice was soft. "Looks like this is the final goodbye. I also will try my hardest to assist you further in this mission from where I will be ranked. Hopefully someday we shall meet again. Goodbye." As if on cue, he vanished immediately after stopping speaking. Right before his entire body disappeared, he looked up, eyes misting over. Friends to the end.  
The final three soberly walked out as Noin dispersed into the wall. She had finished speaking and had walked through it at the final parting. They were now alone on this journey to find the Gerdams and to quell the fighting of the colonies and Earth and of the Zumin and the New Alliance. Two warring groups plus two warring lands would not be wise. It was a death sentence. 


	4. Part 4

The second airlock loomed before the three teenagers whom which would be the pilots of the destroyer Gerdams and the ones to save the world. That is, if everything planned was successful and every mission accomplished with 100% effort and duty at stake.  
Heero pulled on another gas mask, making sure to read the directions carefully at the door. All the information given was vital to staying alive long enough to make it to the hangar stations.  
Walking slowly and carefully, Heero led the way through the dark pathways and hallways. Following the illuminated guidelines, they arrived at a blockaded door at the end of a corridor within twenty-three minutes.  
Duo turned around and sighed. He looked at the other two and finally spoke. "So, I guess we're here. What do we do now?"  
Relena shook her head. "I think we just go in, right Heero?"  
"No," he answered, reading an engraved plate embedded into the wall. "We have to go to the other end, flip the switch, turn right, pull the lever down, walk to the end of that hallway, and press the buttons from left to right then the center. Then we must come back here and enter our names into that viewscreen over there," he explained, pointing to the viewscreen as he finished. "Then it'll let us in, depending on if we are accepted. We need to go one at a time, and if you should mess up you are doomed."  
He got blank stares from the other two for speaking too quickly. He groaned inside, then repeated it and showed them the plaque. "Ready?"  
Duo offered to go first, chuckling for a moment before getting to the point. "See, if I mess up, nothing will happen. My Gerdam isn't done, anyway. I've done without these mobile suits and everything, but Heero, you haven't. You were trained to be a perfect fighting soldier all your life. So you'll learn from my mistakes, right?" He walked away without another word, not even glancing back, not waiting for an answer.  
They heard him mutter something from the other end. It seemed that the hallways were interminable and also very deep; they sent echoes with every step and breath. They could hear him breathing; it was rather erratic and not at all the normal breathing one would normally have. They could hear the pit-pat of his steps and the boom-bang when he tripped over his own feet.  
Presently he came back, dripping wet and solemn. "I wouldn't ever do that again in my lifetime, not even forwell, what am I saying? I'd do that to save the world!" He smacked himself playfully, grinning. "Hey, good luck! I did it, anybody can! See you in the hangar, Heero, Relena!"  
He had entered his codes and his name, and the door opened immediately, shutting the moment his foot left the line of closure. Relena breathed in and out, then began to walk to the end.  
To Heero, the fifteen minutes in which it took her to get there and back seemed like an eternity of waiting. He was both nervous and worried, for some odd reason. Why he would be nervous, he did not know. He usually never got nervous. But he supposed that people had to get nervous sometime  
Relief seemed to possess him whenever Relena was near. When he saw her, also dripping wet and shivering, he was glad she was alive and pretty much in one piece both mentally and physically. She walked straight past him without uttering a single word, although she looked at him with the sort of look one would have if they felt incredibly ill or felt as if they wished to die. He was a little hurt and shocked, but then he decided something terrible must be within those dark hallways to make both his counterparts so emotionally drained.  
He soon found out for himself. The long corridor deepened and became three feet deep in bloody water, then he found himself in a dark, dead graveyard, then the first switch. Then he began his way towards the left, where bones and skeletons lay scattered as harsh, threatening, and boiling hot winds swept invisible sand across the ground. Then flames engulfed the bridge before him and he had to swim a torrentious river before arriving at the end. He pulled the lever down, then began the long journey back through those terrible places. The second half was completely new. First it was the ice crystals that embedded everything that went through it, pinning skeletons and dead bodies askew across rocks and boulders. Then he felt himself falling through space, falling towards a black hole the size of a gigantic nebula. That in itself was frightening to know of a black hole of that size. He fell through, though he did not say a word and did not cry out in fear.  
The black hole brought him directly to a grassy knoll in which the three buttons were situated within a dark statue of a great bird. The eyes were buttons, and the beak was a button. Left, right, center. He was in the middle of the corridor going back towards the bolted doorway to the hangar. This time, however, it was filled with five feet of clear water and he had to swim.  
Once on the other side, he was greeted by Dr. Jei and the other two who were now dry and in a different change of clothes. He was beckoned into a self-drying compartment, then into a changing station. They had uniforms, which he did not mind. They were not bad, at least, he didn't care much for the style, but it was comfortable and it fit pretty well for his standards.  
Black slacks with a belt, and a crisp black polo that buttoned down the entire front. It had two breast pockets and lapels along the shoulders and insigniae across the front. The over-coat was also black; made of fine merino wool, it had cuffs and collars of black in cotton. The New Alliance insignia was embroidered into the back, which all of them thought was very tacky.  
Relena, however, was one they had to all feel sorry for. She had slacks, also, but she also had a skirt and shorts for different occasions. Black leggings were also provided for colder weather to wear with the skirt, and she had high-heeled button-up boots. The two boys had to wear plain black brogans, but that was their usual and they did not mind. Had it been a different girl, they would've hated those heeled boots, but Relena was also used to them from years of experience. [though she often tripped on that first day]  
Dr. Jei brought them directly to the hangar where the Phoelis Wing-Break was kept within locks and generator shields. Heero undid them; he was the only one who could for they had used brainwave and DNA data to seal it up. Only a sample of his blood could open the seal, and after that fingerprint and brainwave data had to be taken to undo the auto-destruction self-destructing system, the ASDS.  
Heero gaped when the shields were lifted. Relena gasped, and Duo just stared. It was even greater in appearance than ever in the pictures. It was smaller than Wing Zero, but not by much. It was white, black, green, and yellow. Small additional parts flashed some strips of blue and red, but the main body was green, gold, and white. It was made to be ever powerful and the extreme best, and best piloted by a one-way mind.  
He immediately gripped the handle and drew himself up. Standing in the cockpit, a feeling of exhilaration and elation filled him. He was in his element; he was trained for this since he was very young and it was embedded into his blood.  
Relena watched this little scene, happy that Heero was so enthusiastic about all this. The mission itself was extremely difficult, but he seemed not to be pessimistic about it at all. Perhaps this time they could all be optimistic.  
The Cylix Arabesque was unlocked already, though a brainwave check had to be taken to reassure the computer system. The Arabesque was mostly white, with lavender, peach, and pale green. Highlights of the palest yellow were seen if one closely observed the panels. If not, then it just looked brighter in certain places than others.  
Duo watched as the two climbed into the seats of the cockpits. He felt rather forlorn, having no Gerdam of his own that was completed. He found himself looking at Quatre's finished Gerdam, the Paleau-Candonite. It was blue and white; with platinum silver and black trimmings. There was no green and no yellow, but it was stunning all the same.  
Duo's Gerdam was the Opular Sepaque. It had invisibility options and used speed to its advantage, much as Deathscythe had. These Gerdams had been made to match the pilot and also to feel rather much like their Gundams for easier fighting. Mostly deep blue to almost black, lighter blues such as royal and indigo highlighter certain areas. Whitish-silver was patched all over, and the strong shield had yellow and red streaks on black, silver, and blue. It was smaller than the Phoelis for the agility and quickness needed for the disappearance invisibility.  
It was almost completed; the only thing needed was the generator shield check-up and two test runs. The most important thing, however, was that the system used in the Os-sepaque (as they called it) had to be installed and re-run to make certain it was functioning properly. If the system, which was named the Oplar, did not function correctly, then major problems could occur within the machinery and also the pilot's mental. [which would be Duo's]  
Dr. Jei noticed Duo for the first time since his arrival. [how had he forgotten him???] "Duo, I completely forgot about the Oplar. You will have to make do with the Candonite until it is completed. The adjustment shouldn't be so bad; your short-range fighting isn't all that terrible. The triple cannons use the battery behind" Dr. Jei hurried to explain the features and instructions as Heero and Relena practiced battle on some dummy mobile dolls set up as targets.  
Duo was a trifle dismayed about using the Candonite; he hated using cannons. But whatever it took to help the rest of them, he'd be the first to try his best. He defeated all his targets, then he and the other two pilots had to try battle, but they were not allowed to use their weapons, only quickness, strength, and agility to tire the opponent.   
Relena quickly pinned Duo down. Duo was at the disadvantage because the Candonite was not his type of mobile suit. Heero quickly took over, then tried to pin the Arabesque to the Candonite then off to the end of destruction. When he almost succeeded, Dr. Jei cut the lights and called to them over comset.  
"Now try this in the dark," he said menacingly, then pushed a button. Black mobile dolls came out, ready to kill.  
Three groans met his chuckling glance. Would they have to practice this forever?  
After the practice session, they were taken to their living quarters. They would have to hide from certain people; they had to stay within the vicinity until time for battle.  
It wasn't so bad, they shared a main living area and kitchen, and each had a small bedroom with an adjoining bathroom. It was like a little condominium. There was a half-floor loft which Duo immediately claimed, and two bedrooms side-by-side downstairs and a pullout sofa bed. The other bedroom was across the side-by-side bedrooms, which Heero opted to take. Relena chose the small bedroom with the window across the hallway from Heero's, though it was more diagonal than straight across.  
The entire "condo" was carpeted, save for the bathrooms and the kitchen. The loft had three walls and a blacony edge for a fourth wall, and the stairs were steep. It fed directly into a wall, though it stopped about three feet before it. To the left was sliding glass doors that gave a spectacular view, then the shared living room. Turning left twice after the end of the stairwell would set you in a direct path to the front door. To the left about half-way, the kitchen sat with a refridgerator/freezer, microwave, oven, and small table. Going on, on the left were the two smaller bedrooms and on the right the room Heero chose.  
"What are we going to eat?" Duo asked, his stomach growling.  
Heero opened the fridge. "There's canned stuff, some vegatables, fruit, milk, juice, eggs, bread, cheese, ham, turkey, mayonnaise," he started, then paused, looking throughtfully into the back wall of the fridge. "What's this?" he asked himself out loud, pursing his lips. He reached into the fridge, trying to get something.  
Relena and Duo exchanged worried glances. What did Heero find? Obviously it was something strange.  
Heero held up a set of knives, metal mini-scythes, and titanium razor discs. He put them on the table, then showed them an envelope addressed to: "The Gerdam Pilots". He ripped it open and read it aloud.  
  
  
Newly Recruited Gerdam Pilots and Co.-  
These weapons are made to specific standards. I am sure you'll know whose is whose. Hope they are helpful.  
  
  
Noin, Trowa, Quatre  
  
  
Relena stared at the foreign objects lying on the table. Duo picked up the package of discs, wondering what they meant by knowing whose was whose. Heero put the letter down gently and sat down before the objects, fingering the pistol in his belt.  
"So, what do we do?" Duo finally asked after some while. "Which one to take?"  
Heero took out his pistol and laid it down next to the other items. He said shortly, "There must be another Gerdam pilot. The pilot to use Trowa's Gerdam."  
Duo thought that one over. Heero was right, of course. The Retekar Wasiezl was completed; Trowa's Gerdam was finished before Duo's in an effort to speed up the process. No one would use that particular Gerdam; Duo couldn't, he wasn't compatible to the features. He could barely manage with the Candonite as it was.  
Who used knives? Relena didn't; she hated them. She took the discs as Duo set them down, and Duo immediately chose the mini-scythes, remembering Deathscythe. The knives were what was left because Heero had his gun at all times and did not use knives as a main weapon.  
"Wufei used a sword," Relena pointed out, fingering a knife. There were six in all.  
Duo shook his head. "That's different. He wouldn't use knives in place of his sword. It has to be someone who uses knives already."  
"Oh, I guess not," Relena said, looking at Heero.  
He noticed both were waiting for an answer and finally said, "We'll have to wait. The originals were supposed to be Hilde, Relena, and us four Gundam pilots. this fourth person is most likely a girl, if they make it. Dr. Jay should explain to us tomorrow."  
Relena nodded. "I wonder if we know her."  
"We probably have to know her," Duo pointed out. "We need to know the people or we'll end up killing them," he added, looking at Heero. They had often fought before they earned trust and became friends.  
Heero agreed. "I guess so."  
  
  
Who is the fourth person? Or will there be more than four? There are five Gerdams, after all.... 


	5. Part 5

After a restless night of sleep, Heero awoke to the buzzing of Duo's annoying alarm clock from upstairs. It was five-thirty a.m. on a Monday morning, and on this particular morning the beep buzz cockadoodle-doo of Duo's picture-frame alarm clock wasn't the most welcomed sound to either himself nor Duo.  
Rolling over once and putting a pillow over his head, he groaned. He wondered if Relena was up yet. Duo was probably doggedly pat-patting his hand around, looking for the button to turn the damn thing off and leave him in peace, which was a futile attempt since he stubbornly kept his eyes shut tight. When there was a big crash, he didn't really wonder and just took it for granted that Duo had thrown the thing on the ground though the beeping continued. But he hadn't.  
"Will you please turn the ******* thing off?!?!" Relena screamed in what must be confessed as a very pissed and sleepy tone, banging her door to punctuate her statement. Heero listened intently, waiting to see what would happen. The alarm clock died promptly and a feeble and anything but sleepy voice muttered a brief sorry and there was another bang of her door. He was certainly awake now, and for the first time had heard a harsh side of Relena Peacecraft. If she needed to be, she could be cold, mean, harsh, and downright dirty. He grinned inside. She was perfect.  
  
  
"Did you three have a good rest?" Dr. Jei inquired, looking over his three "students" with a little less than pride. Relena's hair was rather messy, and Duo's was in a state of "too long to do anything with it at the moment...I have rat nests all over!" and Heero was well, in his normal mood and normal expressionless way. [at least, on the outside]  
"No, I did not," Relena said shortly, glaring at Duo who sort of minced behind Heero where he was out of the line of the glare. Heero glanced behind him and scooted to the side in one step, leaving Duo exposed to the line of vision once again. Duo just cringed where he was and waited for Dr. Jei to continue.  
"No doubt it was a difficult transition," he remarked, rubbing his chin. "I have the new recruit to join you. She will be here within the hour. She hasn't been fully trained yet, however, and it will be up to you to train her to the best of her ability. Is that understood?"  
"Yes, sir," Heero answered, finishing tucking in his shirt. His hair was fine, though it took a lot of water and gel to get it straight. His belt was still dangling from his arm, and the shirt was a little crumpled, but he was in better shape than the other two. After the morning fiasco with the alarm clock, they also had coffee problems and some burning of toast that morning, not to mention bathroom hogging and a bit of rough-housing to get the ironing board to iron their uniforms. Then came the fight about cleaning up...that morning was just terrible.  
Duo was curious, however, as to who this other recruit was. "Who is she? Do we know her at all?" he inquired, trying to undo a knot in one section of his extremely long hair.  
"Oh, you know her. Although Relena will not get along too well with her, everything should go along just fine, I believe," Dr. Jei replied, digging into his pocket. "I do not remember her full name at the moment, but we call her Rinna. She is very close friends with Trowa and she has been made a backup for him since the beginning. Hilde and Noin were also backups, which is why when they saw both Heero and Duo would make it, they let go. They needed not to complete the track for their task was completed. But Quatre, however, is a great loss. We do not have a backup, but Duo shall do efficiently with the Candonite until the Opular is completed. It will prove to be difficult to find a match for Quatre." He paused, pulling out a little i.d. card featuring "Rinna".   
The three gasped. It was Catherine! Catherine Bloom, from Trowa's circus; his older sister!  
"Does he know about this?" Heero asked, a trifle upset that such a decision had been made for the two. Trowa would not be pleased with such a great change, especially becuase he would worry within his heart, deep inside.  
Dr. Jei scoffed. "If we didn't tell him, do you think she would be able to come?" he asked sarcastically, peering at Heero. "Do you really think so, Heero Yuy?" He didn't expect an answer, so Heero did not bother to say what he thought. "She is not a perfect match; in fact she is quite different from Trowa, as you all know. But they were closer than anybody else and fact is, she has good aim. She will be an important asset on missions; she is also intelligent, as with the rest of you."  
Duo looked off to the side. "So she'll be here within the hour. She will pilot the Retekar Wasiezl, correct? I know she doesn't know much about the piloting itself, but does she know the stats and features yet? And the main idea of these missions?"  
Heero seconded the question. Relena just listened; after all, she was not best friends with this Catherine Bloom. She hardly even knew her, though she met her once at a little dinner party and was not impressed by her personality nor her type.  
Dr. Jei had the answer to the ridiculously trivial question. "No, she does not know, for if she did, the New Alliance would have been in grave danger. And anyway, none of you are compatible to help her with such. You should know that a pilot learns and feels the Gundam; it is natural and cannot be taught. Now be off to practice! You must teach her the additional stats and features that all of them boast, which means you'll also have to learn them before you can teach them. I give full responsibility for her success to you." He shooed them off, gesturing with his hands towards the unlocked Gerdams.  
  
  
"This is confusing," Duo complained, pushing first one button, then another, all the while reading an instruction manual and trying to listen to what Heero was explaining to do.  
"Now you pull the lever...no! Not that one! The one to your left!" Heero quickly corrected Duo in the process of getting some auto-pilot compliance help system up for Catherine. [ACHS]  
Relena was sitting on the double-cylix that was swung out in front of the Arabesque to form a seat, watching from above while the two young men fiddled with the controls. She sighed inwardly, contemplating what her future held. She didn't know what to think. She was friends with Hilde, and she had known Noin almost all her life. Trowa and Quatre were always with Heero, and same went for Duo so she was used to them. But Catherine, well, she didn't know. As Dr. Jei had said, she wasn't so sure she'd get along too well with her. Though it wasn't like they were complete enemies or someone she completely couldn't stand, she just didn't know if she could indeed become friends with her. But she'd have to, at least, for Heero and for the sake of the world.  
"Relena! Come here and hold this lever, would you?" Duo called, waving a wrench to catch her attention. Heero was still absorbed in the instruction manual, but he looked up and waved when Relena called down that she would be there in a minute.  
She looked around. "What do you want me to hold?" she asked, staring at the rows and rows of tiny little switches, buttons, touchpads, keys, and tiny levers.  
Heero spoke aloud. "To operate the twin blaster, hold down lever T1 and the G-46 button at once, then pull the trigger on operation keypad 2." Relena glanced at the panel and threw her hands up, looking at Heero with a bashful yet disdainful expression.  
"And in English, what does that mean?" she inquired haughtily, her eyes questioning.  
Duo's eyebrows shot up at her impertinence and glanced at Heero. Heero's face was like a perfect mask. His eyes flashed for a moment, then dimmed out and grew softer, to Duo's extreme surprise. He looked quickly back at the panel when Heero turned.  
"I guess it is confusing," Heero said thoughtfully, rereading the manual. "Well, hold this down, and Duo, hit the G-46 and pull keypad 2 trigger at the same time. Got it?"  
Duo gave a thumbs up sign, and Relena put her hand near the lever, positioned for the instruction "go". Heero waited a few seconds before saying "go" so they would be in perfect synchronization for a one-time-and-first-time deal.  
"Go." It was lacking in its entirety of enthusiasm, though the operation proved successful as a mobile doll got blasted to bits. The aim had been Heero's part, and he played it perfectly.  
"Awesome!" Duo commented, viewing the stats and ranking of the hit. "Direction, 100%, timing, 100%, strength, 2G, therma, above normal, power, full power! That was fantastic!" He grinned widely, then looked at the other two.  
Relena sighed and turned away. Duo didn't know her real well, but he knew people. He knew when to and when not to meddle. So he left her alone. Heero had gone back to reading the instructions and he also had that look of "don't mess with me". There was really nothing for Duo to do while Heero learned the figures to attempt the next attack, so he went through the computer system.  
The pilot stats were listed within the operating system of the Retekar. Catherine's was pretty much blank except for her name and Trowa's additional stats. There was one empty slot, however, which was probably meant for Quatre. Duo, finding nothing new nor interesting in the stats, continued to fiddle through the computer's hardware systems. He found that the Retekar had a very different operating system than Wing Zero but had even greater effects, though it wore off much quicker than Wing Zero's.  
Heero glanced up, but Duo did not notice. He was completely absorbed in the material he was reading. Heero looked at the screen, wondering what it was. When he read the first few lines, he continued to read it. This information would determine whether a small mistake or change in a pilot's emotion would fix itself or become a drastic problem. The Opular and Candonite systems were also different, according to the computer. Those would have to be re-evaluated, also. It ran on the basic lines of the personality and fighting tactics of each pilot, and also the emotional stress and adrenaline rush one got during battle.  
  
  
Forty minutes later, a slender young woman with shoulder-length, curly brown hair and icy blue eyes that were warm and friendly walked in with Dr. Jay. She was wearing long black boots, a gray tweed skirt [that I might mention was rather short] with a black belt, and a white, knitted angora long-sleeved tee. She carried a small duffel bag and a garment bag that no doubt held her uniforms. She was chatting with Dr. Jei, and she laughed. It was a nice laugh, not hard and cold or harsh. It was almost musical.  
She looked ahead and saw Duo waving. "Oh hello, Duo! And Heero!" she called, cupping her hands in front of her face. I mean, they were pretty high up. Then Relena turned, a look of confusiong flitting across her face. Catherine saw her and waved up at her. She did not wave back but she smiled a very small smile. Catherine was taken aback a little, but giggled and shifted her grip on her bags. "Nice to meet you again!"   
Heero nodded reply. Relena grimaced inside, jealousy burning for not particular reason. Or at least, that was what went through her mind. She did not know the real reason.  
  
  
That night at dinner, Catherine had settled into the condo complex and was actually the one who cooked the meal. [although Duo had wanted to...] The chattered normal dinner conversation like old friends. [which they actually were...]  
"How is Trowa doing? What has he been doing?" was a popular question that night. Catherine hadn't seen him lately, actually, because he was sent off in recruit for training to be in the New Alliance board. That caused some major gaspings and shocked surprise within the walls of their cozy little "home", as you can imagine.  
Catherine suddenly looked up from her chicken. "What do you call this place?" she inquired curiously, cutting her meat neatly.  
Duo shrugged his shoulders and looked at the other two. "We haven't really thought about that much. I suppose we'll have to make one up for it."  
Relena commented that it reminded her of something. "I have this odd feeling of deja vu, but I can't place where it could have been that I visited. The main atrium was so familiar, yet it was strange to me."  
Heero did not comment, pushing some peas to the side of the plate. Catherine had made a Western-style dinner, and peas were just not on his menu for the night.  
"I have that same feeling, Relena," Catherine said, looking at her with an understanding. Relena did not believe her, or rather, she did not want to believe her. She scooped at her mashed potatoes with force, splattering a few specks of gravy on the crisp cloth napkin settled neatly on her lap.  
Catherine looked down again, feeling that strange feeling that you're not welcomed. Heero restrained from glaring at Relena. She had never been like this before, and he wasn't sure he liked working with someone that could do this. But what did it matter to him? Why did he keep thinking about Relena, Relena, Relena! Could he never shake her from his thoughts?   
Heero now knew his destiny was complete. It was his fate to kill her, and he must. Relena would just have to die.....for him. He did not look up when Relena asked him a question, but told her teams work best when they are teams. It stung badly, and Relena smarted with hurt and beginnings of anger for a long, long time thereonafter. 


	6. Part 6

Dr. Jei had plans for the two unfortunate pilots and the two replacements that would be needed to fill in whenever necessary. Little did the other four know, there were reasons for each and every move any one of them made or didn't make. It was already destined to happen as it did or would. There was no changing the future.  
  
  
The two boys and two girls sat in different chambers taking a written test. Each week they were to be tested for written, which included academic subjects such as mathematics, engineering, physics, mechanics, history, and some basic overviews of choice languages, physical, which was a test for speed, agility, accuracy, and the ability to carry out something properly under stress and pressure, and training technique, which was where the training technicalities came out and showed themselves to allow analysis to solve problems before they became too big both in technique of certain moves or functions and also the mental state of each pilot.  
The mental state of each pilot's mind was so extremely important that almost every training instructor became ill with paranoia. Well, they would if they could. But they were trained to take the pressures and were there to teach and to learn, not to take ill because they were failing. Failing was not an option at the Gerdam facility which was called the "Aladium". [uh-lae-dee-uhm] {the 'a' in 'lae' is pronounced like 'cat'}  
  
Duo muttered as they were leaving the training hangar for a lunch break, "You would think that the priveleges we should get should exclude timed written tests." He shrugged, looking straight ahead. He commented briefly on the good judgement of the written tests, then went on to wondering about the choice of the piloting team. "Then again, I guess we'll need it. But you know who was good at those timed written tests? Quatre, that's who. He whizzed right through 'em every single time! And Trowa. Trowa was the best of us all at the training technique. He was very absolute. Odd that they didn't make it and someone who's a nobody like me should be here." The thought wasn't odd, it was that Duo was actually thinking such a thought was queer.  
Catherine looked him straight in the eye, though he hadn't been looking. "No one here's a trifle. And if there was one, I'd be the last in everything. I've been in the circus business my entire life, and I live the life of a normal woman. I used to, that is, until I met Trowa and watched him grow up. I grew up with him and I learned a lot though he's younger. He's been through more, and I'm sure you've been through more than I ever have."  
Duo nodded mutely. He hadn't commented on Heero's 100%s on all three tests, and he did not feel any remorse for it. Of course Catherine already knew   
that. Everyone knew about Heero's undauntingly high scores. Duo himself did average on the written; being an orphan he didn't have proper schooling from a young age. The physical had its goods and bads; he usually did well on this but still Heero topped all of them. The training technique was the most difficult for him. Though he wasn't bad at it, he hated it the most and rushed through everything. The Test Persons evaluating everything would constantly pick out faults that were not usually present. It was extremely frustrating for him.  
Heero picked up a tray and moved off to begin a line near the lunch counter. There was an array of different maki rolls and types of sushi, as well as rice balls, udon noodles, and several other types of good food. There was even a short counter with Western-style foods, which Catherine eagerly went to take a good look at. Relena followed closely behind Heero, picking out small, delicate foods for a light lunch.  
Duo ended up with something called a 'subway sandwich' from the 'American Delicatessan' and some rice balls. For dessert he managed to get his hands on green tea swirl red bean ice cream. The others eyed his selection dubiously and through grinning mouthfuls he explained that really, it was actually good. [I mean, he is the bottomless pit, isn't he?]  
"What is that, exactly?" Relena asked, a little disgusted.  
"Well, green tea ice cream, swirled with red bean ice cream. In a cup."  
She rolled her eyes. "Of course it's in a cup. I can see the cup."  
"You said exactly," he retorted cockily, tilting his head backwards to catch the last drop off his spoon.  
Catherine felt an edge catch in Relena's throat as she drew in a sharp breath. "I think we should finish eating so we can have time to relax for the rest of the time. We had an hour and a half total, and we've only been here twenty minutes." She didn't know why she was easing the situation; she just was.  
Heero glanced around the table. Duo nodded, finished with his ice cream. Relena folded her napkin and set it neatly on the table. That signalled she was ready to leave. Catherine had brought up the suggestion. And he himself had been done long before. There was no reason that that idea would not work.  
"Should be go back to the complex?" Duo asked, standing up and stretching. "We can loaf around and then go back fifteen minutes early." Duo was late much of the time, though he liked being puntual. It just didn't work out that way all the time.  
  
  
The four ended up sitting on the sofas watching movies. They talked, however, and one thing that was good about being out in the real world longer was that things happened so quickly you knew more than people who left the day before you. So Catherrine had much to tell the other three about the Earth and the colonies.  
"You didn't know?" she inquired incredulously. Heero had just commented on the whereabouts and howabouts of Trowa. "He's gone to school to learn about politics and such to join as a representative in the New Alliance!"  
Relena sat up straighter at this piece of news. Heero hardly paid any attention to her at all, and she felt embarrassed remembering her first actions towards him when they met again after such a long time. He seemed to have missed her, but now, he was so cold...so unemotional...  
Heero was talking. Relena was sitting on the arm chair with her slippered-feet propped daintily on the cushioned ottoman. She leaned back gently and felt her head nod. She was getting very sleepy with all this talk. Would the day not be over?  
"So you mean that they were meant to not make it?" Duo asked, not believing anything he was hearing. "But how--what...how could they do that?"  
Heero just shook his head. "There must be a reason behind this. Trowa will be joining the New Alliance as a representative, so our side will gain. But for sure they'll have balancing forces for those for the war. But Trowa should be able to outbest them." He paused momentarily as he took notice of Relena's head which dropped even further into the chair's back. She was completely and totally asleep. He suddenly had a queer thought that poor Relena, she was tired out, where's a blanket? But then he shook it out as immediately as it had come. He wasn't supposed to care, he was supposed to kill her.  
"So where did they station Quatre?" asked Duo, not sensing any change in Heero's mood or manner.  
Catherine shrugged lightly, her hair touching her shoulders, then rebounding with an elasticity of healthiness. "I'm not certain, but I believe he will be the one to plan out our missions and provide us with non-stop 24/7 information on the whereabouts of our enemy and allies. He should also give us information about their plans via Trowa."  
Heero became thoughtful. "But there were five Gerdams. If Trowa and Quatre weren't supposed to make it, why were you a backup? Wouldn't they use someone else, someone who wasn't a backup? Quatre didn't have a backup."  
Duo contemplated that statement. It was indeed very strange. "But I'm the one using the Candonite. Perhaps the person to use the Candonite wasn't Quatre to begin with. I wouldn't be able to use it without those adjustments that were made so quickly, and I watched them. Those adjustments were already part way to being my exact settings. They had to have known and made it seem different to the others. And now that I think about it, Catherine may be very close to Trowa, but she's not the same type as Trowa at all. Not one bit the same except for some small insignificant similarities. That's not enough to operate a Gerdam successfully. She must also be temporary."  
Catherine did not feel put off by this at all. After all, it was indeed the truth. How to escape the truth? Mere futile attempts got you nowhere, as these four had already known long ago.  
They woke Relena and decided to take it to Dr. Jei.  
"Good. You have seen through it. Excellent." He smiled widely. "This was a test for you, however, one part is not entirely correct. Quatre had been a borderline choice of recruit. We had wanted him as a Gerdam pilot, but others begged to differ, saying he would be better off helping with other things. He was extarordinarily good at the written tests, so I just hope he'll do well. As for Catherine, she shall stay here a week then return home. She will only be here long enough for the others to come."  
Relena was still confused, having first been rudely woken up by Duo, then pulled into a conversation that had been done and over with long ago. "Others?"  
"Their names are Reina Foutete and Todousa Mokiniru. Reina is still sixteen, and Todousa is nearly eighteen. They will balance the age differences out evenly," Dr. Jay explained, showing them pictures and stats. "They were born on Earth itself, growing up in different areas. They should also help during decision-making for the better of the colonies and Earth."  
  
  
Name: Reina Foutete [ray-nuh foo-tay]   
Age: 16  
Gender: Female  
Height: 5' 4"  
Weight: 101 lb.  
Hair Color: Reddish-blonde  
Eye Color: Hazel-bluegreen  
Background: 50% French, 50% Scottish  
Gerdam: Candonite  
Personality: Reina is quiet, but she's usually optomistic and is very easy-going. She is rather shy, however, and extremely emotional. To be paired up with the Wing Zero system could really hurt her performance. She is very intelligent and passes the written tests with flying colors. She does not take anything for granted and is grateful for everything that is given opportune to her. She is not very sure of herself, though, and is a perfectionist. This causes some problems along the way when she finds something is not right be she cannot but sure that what she senses is correct. She is deep within conflict. Her past is clouded; she only remembers her foster parents which had taken her in from the bitter cold wind and biting rain on the streets of England when she was four. She lived with them a short while when they died in an airplane crash. She was then sent to a boarding school where she was ridiculed and teased. She is good in martial arts and had taken ballet for ten years. She is also compassionate towards everybody and everything.  
  
  
Todousa Mokiniru [toe-doe-sah moe-kihn-nee-roo]  
Age: 17, almost 18  
Gender: Male  
Height: 5' 7.5"  
Weight: 132 lb.  
Hair Color: Dark brown but lighter in sections  
Eye Color: Honey-brown  
Background: Some Russian and French but mostly Canadian  
Gerdam: Retekar  
Personality: This golden-tanned teenager is a champion swimmer. However, he had to quit due to financial problems. He had a family of eight; a mother and father, six sisters, and a younger brother. His father died when he was 12, forcing him to quit school and work to earn money for his family being the eldest male in the household. Finally when he was 15, his mother remarried and he went back to highschool. But not for long. There were murders, suicides, and shooting all around his neighborhood. His step-father was arrested and jailed for dealing with drugs, and soon after his mother was diagnosed HIV positive. She died within the year, right before Christmastime, both from the AIDs and also from malnutrition. He hated that year; he wished he could bury it beneath the folds of death's cloak. He never wanted to remember it, but recurring dreams made him feel as though he was responsible for his father's death which he knew nothing about. This made him a solitary, sober young man that walked between two fine lines of hatred and death. Sometimes he became oblivious to what went on around him and seemed in his own world for hours at a time, though this was very seldom. He feels not the pain and shock, but feels deeply and clings to love, compassion, and affection.  
  
  
"When will they arrive?" Catherine asked, twirling a lock of hair around her fingers. When they came, she would go back, back to Trowa and the circus.  
"In about six days. Reina will take your room, Catherine, and Todousa will have to make do with the pull-out couch in the living room," Dr. Jei replied.  
All four nodded consent. They understood this fully and would have to adjust on their own for the new changes that were made to their life.  
Dr. Jei started suddenly, looking straight at Duo. His eyes looked the same as if he were in the seat of Deathscythe Hell, ready to slash some evil opponent. He filed that thought away, remembering that Duo would then pilot the Opular. The new system was also extremely powerful, and would have extreme side effects. Then that triggered something he had almost forgotten to tell them about.   
"Gerdam pilots, I have overlooked something that I should have told you from the beginning," he said apologetically. "I know this seems quite different, but we have another recruit that will not be piloting a Gerdam but will work behind-the-scenes with Quatre. Her name is Junedi Gutamela and she comes from Australia. She is second cousins to Todousa, though they do not know each other."  
Heero's eyebrows lifted slowly, taking in the newest information. So many new people. This was going to be a rough and difficult transition.  
  
  
Name: Junedi Gutamela [yoo-nay-dee goo-tah-may-lah]   
Age: Almost 15  
Gender: Female  
Height: 5' 3"  
Weight: 99 lb.  
Hair Color: Dark blonde  
Eye Color: Green and violet  
Background: Uknown, however she comes from Australia and her mother was Todousa's mother's half-sister [step-sister]  
Gerdam: none  
Personality: This young teenager is very responsible, organized, and gets things done. She is extremely bright and quick to learn. Her past was a normal past, though she was brought up in a seminary for girls and boys. It was a good school and the children there received good educations, full stomachs, and led pretty happy lives. Her father had lost custody of her when a rumor had been spread that he abused her. It was not proven, and to this day no one knows other than himself and his daughter. Her mother died giving birth to her, and she was the first and only child of the married couple, thus giving her no siblings. She will be the one to map out routes and plans for the missions Quatre laid out for the Gerdams.  
  
  
"Where is she?" Heero asked, speaking for the first time. He thought that she would be here already, along with Quatre, if they were to lay out missions. And he was right. Over one hundred percent correct.  
Dr. Jei waved a hand over to his left. "As a matter of fact, they are here. And Quatre has been here since the day he disappeared in the testing corridors. Miss Junedi has just arrived this morning."  
Quatre came in, holding a sheaf of papers in one hand and waving with the other. He was calling out something which sounded like hello, but of course they couldn't really distinguish the sounds from one another in the high-ceilinged hangar.  
Following closely behind was a petitie young teenager wearing stylish glasses propped up in her short layered hair. Her eyes were very large and beautiful against her magnolia white complexion. She wore brown suede pennies, cream knee-highs, a brown-and-cream plaid skirt [with some green], and a brown sweater over a cream banana-neck tee. She was also carrying papers and a laptop in its case.  
"Hey guys!" Quatre said as he came nearer. "How has everyone been? Hello, Catherine! Nice to see you again!" He looked over at Junedi. He motioned her to come nearer as she looked as if she were hanging back. "This is Junedi Gutamela, and she's going to work with me as my partner. Junedi, this is Heero, and this is Duo, and Relena...how are you, Relena?" he suddenly asked, looking at her strangely then glancing at Heero. She seemed out of sorts and very disorientated.  
"I'm fine, thank you. Nice to meet you, Junedi," she replied, though it just not be overlooked that she sounded extremely exhausted and looked it, too.  
Junedi spoke for the first time. "Nice to meet you too....is it--wait...I'll get it...Relena? And Catherine, nice seeing you again!" She sounded a touch nervous at the beginning, but the friendliness could not be mistaken. However, as Catherine's name rolled off her lips, a cold sound caught its edge.  
Catherine did not seem any more warmer than Junedi had. "Yes, pleased to see you again, Juni."  
Duo looked at both of them. "Juni?"  
Junedi looked a trifle embarrassed. "That's what everyone calls me. I know it seems silly, but--"  
"Oh, no! No hard feelings, I was just being curious as usual. So you're from Aussie, are you?" Duo cut in hastily, not wanting to make Juni more uncomfortable than she already was. She seemed rather shy.  
She blushed and Catherine answered for her. "She's from Aussie, but I knew her. She was an exchange student to a school that came to see our circus."  
During this little exchange, Juni's eyes wandered over to Relena and Heero. Heero was giving her a cold once-over, and Relena just looked on with a feeling of boredom, disinterest, and sleepiness. She couldn't be blamed, however. It was indeed an exhausting day for anyone, let alone a girl that had not grown up trained to practice military arts for a whole day after waking up at the crack of dawn.  
"Juni, do you have the pull-outs of the stats? We should give it to them, along with the maps we had ready," Quatre said as the others crowded around to see what they had in store for them. "The Zumin are already attacking various tourist attractions around Earth, killing millions of innocent people. Something must be done to stop this. Any ideas?"  
Duo suddenly looked up. "You mean we have to choose what to do?" he asked, surprised at the openness of the mission layouts.  
"Actually, yes. They decided you were old enough and mature enough to become a part of the team to select and choose what you need to do. Afterall, you're the ones who have to carry out a mission. You know whether you can do more or if you'll kill yourselves trying the impossible," Quatre explained seriously. You could not miss the hint of regret touching base in his voice.  
Heero nodded, motioning them to go on with the plans. "And where are they planning to attack next? Do you know?"  
Juni scanned the papers. "As of yet, no. But we're working for you 24/7 when we have to, so we'll know soon enough. We do know that the places that are vulnerable for attack are large city tourist attractions where major New Alliance representatives live and station. That way, the representative is killed a well as what the Zumin think are people who love their representatives," she replied, a sadness overtaking the entire group.  
  
  
[On a spacestation out off the outer rim of the Moon]  
Monotriese laughed harshly, sitting at a table with his second man. They had finished their plans to annhilate representative number 57, and were drinking their evil concoctions during their short but dark break.  
"Ha ha ha, the ones they love shall die because of us, but we shall end their misery by killing them! Generosity is always at its best with the Zumin!" the second man said sardonically, sneering as he finished. His name was Tuwaki Sasikano, a man in his mid-thirties. He would ascend leadership if Monotriese did die. But that task proved to be extremely difficult. Monotriese was different. He was not human.   
  
  
[back on Earth]  
The six dined together in the main dining hall that night, tackling their missions with a vengence. They were on a one-way road, a road that would save Earth.  
Juni gave a yelp. She jumped back in her chair suddenly, and all of them thought she had a seizure or a heart-attack or something.  
"What's wrong?" Relena said with alarm. She had taken a short nap before dinner with Heero's insistence, and she was not quite so sleepy.  
Quatre peered over her shoulder at the laptop screen. They had been waiting for food to be served and could not keep from working. When he read the article, he gasped.  
"But obviously he wanted us to see it," Quatre argued, pointing at the beginning.  
"What is it?" Duo asked impatiently, getting up out of his chair and flinging his napkin to the side. He had sat across from them and had to go around to see the screen. He was extremely curious to see why Juni acted so strangely.  
Juni answered him. "It seems that the leader of the Zumin, Zunir Trobelevski, is not human! He is not fully human, that is, and he is not a mutant. He changed his name when he found he was different. He had been taken in on Earth by scientists, and he had been sort of an experiment. He had not been born on either Earth nor the colonies, and he later named himself what he is today, Zuni Monotriese. His original name no one knows, though whether he himself knows it or not we'll have to find out."  
Heero sat silently. Zuni Monotriese, leader of all Zumin. His original name not known, the name he gave himself Zunir Trobelevski. Hmm...Polish-sounding. Perhaps he was brought up in Europe. But how? Had anyone seen him as of recent times? Heero certainly had not, nor had he even seen pictures. What were the differences between himself and humans? Was it obvious to the naked eye? Or to natural human beings living in this space age and time? If he wasn't human and he wasn't a mutant, then what was he? 


	7. Part 7

"He's not human?" Duo asked, incredulity filling his voice. "And he wanted us to know he wasn't human. Incredibly stupid. What a fool."  
"He has a reason," Heero said, not believing Monotriese to be a fool. "He wouldn't have gotten this far if he were a fool."  
Duo glanced at him. "Whatever. But why would he want anyone to know he's not human? Most normal people don't like the idea to begin with."  
Juni scanned the screen more closely. "He doesn't state his reasons here, that's for sure. We'll have to work on it." She shook her head, soft locks falling forward into her small face.  
Quatre looked at the others, then back at Juni. "We'll need to put together a mission soon, and fast." The others nodded consent. It was to be. It was their destiny, their fate. How the odds would come to be, no one knew.  
  
  
-----  
  
  
Lora Manosaka was an ordinary girl living in a small town near Portland, Oregon, on Earth. Her family roots traced to a Japanese heritage; her mother and father were both born in America but her grandparents and all her ancestors beyond that were all born and raised in Japan. She lived a lonely life; she had no brothers and sisters, though at birth she was the second twin to another little girl which her parents named Cora. They were not identical twins, each having her own special qualities and beauties. But when Cora and Lora were barely four years old, Cora was kidnapped during the night while the house and small family slept. Life dragged on in its terrible solitude since then, her parents mourning for their lost daughter.  
Lora believed that Cora was still alive, though most people gave up hope long ago. After all, Cora was her sister. She had to keep hoping. Though some days it felt as though the world was coming to an end, there was that little flame of hope that kept her going. That someday she would see her twin sister again.  
"I'm leaving now!" she called through the open doorway, closing it not-too-gently behind her. She was off to school on the frosty morning. It was early November, and the frost clung to the shrubs and grasses. She was careful to keep her shoes dry and clean for all the teachers at her school were extremely peeved by dirt and uncleanliness.  
She shivered. The uniform of a pleated navy skirt and sweater and a crisp ironed white shirt did not give much warmth. Her coat, however, of fine lamb's wool and coarse silken weaving was much warmer. Her legs were left to the biting wind and cold, though she pulled her socks up as far as they would go. She hated the uniforms, and she hated Oregon. Not very many Japanese lived in the area; as a matter of fact, hardly any Asians lived in her town. She was one of the two that were Asian in the school, the other being a small Burmese boy about six years of age in the kindergarten.  
She found herself staring at the restaurant sign. The hiragana letters seemed to jump out at her as she read them. Her parents owned a small Japanese sushi diner to earn a little extra money. On weekends it did very well, but during the weekdays things lagged behind a little. Especially in the winter. The location of the diner was not a good one, and not very many people came to the area just for a small sushi snack.  
Her lavender-blue eyes scanned the skies. Clouds crowded around the sun, blocking its rays and cutting all the heat off from the Earth. She hoped fervently that it wouldn't rain and started to jog quickly to school.  
  
  
Quatre separated the maps, placing different sections of the building on different chairs while the table was being set. Duo and Relena had promptly gone to clean away the turned over drinks and fallen knives and spoons in the commotion, returning rather tired and a trifle angered with clean table linens.  
"Why did we get the messy job?" Duo lamented, throwing up his hands as he dropped the tablecloth neatly onto the table. Though it was almost perfectly even, Heero took the other ends and straightened it out to smooth out any wrinkles that may have been made.   
Relena had sat down, frustrated. In the process of cleaning up, there were stacks of dishes to take away and wash, not to mention keeping your feet from slipping out from under you in the slippery kitchen. Then there was the mad scramble looking for all the fallen utensils, then jamming everything into the dishwasher. Finally, when the time came to bring the clean, starched, white tablecloth out, dirty dishwater spilled all over it. It was then a pandemonium both in the kitchen and out of the kitchen; Heero even stuck his head in to see what was taking so long. Finally he went searching for the linen closet, returning in what seemed a half an hour. It was all so exasperating!  
Everything else was forgotten when Juni put the maps in order on the table, giving them a full view of the building the Zumin were supposedly going to attack within two days.  
Heero evaluated the entire map. It was a tricky building; the hallways were never straight for more than three rooms on either side. It was the housing complex, an apartment building, where many officials were staying for the month to complete legal business. It was a modest attack; there were only sixteen officials and five innocent families living the in the complex. But nevertheless, they were still killing the innocent. They had to be stopped.  
Dr. Jei appeared in the doorway. "I see you have gotten yourselves together," he commented, noting the serious looks on their faces.  
"Yeah. We weren't chosen to sit around doing nothing," Duo said, standing up and putting his hands in his pockets. He was wearing black pants and a gray and black knit sweater with black stripes across the chest and upper sleeves. He was also wearing a black baseball hat on backwards. [it doesn't work right to put it on straight with his braid, if you know what I mean]  
Dr. Jei chuckled inside. That would be Duo all over. "Reina and Todousa will arrive shortly. I have sent for them to come early to receive the mission and have some practice training together. Neither of them have met before, and I am sure none of you have ever met them, either. So long!" With that, he disappeared as quickly as he came.  
"Damn! Why does he keep doing that?" Duo said angrily, taking off his cap and throwing it down. He sat down again, frustrated.  
"We've read their stats already. What are we supposed to do?" Juni said, only making the sting hurt worse. [obviously she doesn't know Duo too well]  
Duo remained silent. Heero went on studying the map. "We'll have to get the Gerdams ready. Is the Opular completed?"  
Duo looked up, slightly alarmed. If Reina came, she would be the one using the Candonite. Relena used the Arabesque, and Todousa would be using the Retekar. Heero, of course, would be using the Phoelis Wing-Break, so what was left for Duo? Deathscythe was out of the picture, sent into the Sun once again, ready to hit its mark within another year. Now it was definitely too far for anyone who didn't wish to be killed in the process to go after it.  
Quatre got into the seat and began to do some typing on the computer. He emailed Dr. Jei and the other Gerdam creators, making sure to state the problems and to ask the questions. He clicked something, then waited, sitting back in the chair. Juni looked over his shoulder at the screen, her great green and violet eyes wandering and her hair framing her small face.  
"This is so uncool...do I really have to fight with my bare hands?" Duo managed to mutter, very unhappy about the whole thing.  
Quatre suddenly sat up straight. "They have it completed far enough for you to use it properly. You'll need to test it out yourself tonight, though. Are you up to it?" Quatre asked, looking at Duo.  
"Of course I can!" he said, standing up again. "Is it ready now?"  
"Reina and Todousa are here. They will meet you in the training hangar."  
Relena started at this. "Aren't you coming with?"  
Juni shook her head. "We have to prepare the mission more thoroughly. We can't be responsible for sending you into an unknown area when we were supposed to take utmost care in preparing this."  
Heero gave a nod. "Let's go."  
"Awesome! Yeah, let's get moving!" an enthusiastic Duo commented, once again joyous that he would be able to use the Opular.  
  
  
Juni and Quatre watched them go. Quatre excused himself, saying that he would be back in a minute with some tea. [tea always helps soothe him] Juni just nodded. She knew that Quatre always liked tea when he was working, and watched him go, also. She sighed and faced the computer's screen saver. Little Gundams were fighting mobile dolls on the screen, each triumphantly beating the mobile dolls. She recognized Wing Zero and Heavyarms Kai.  
She moved the mouse. She found herself staring at her own profile, then suddenly remembered that she hadn't told the whole truth about her background in order to become a member of this elite team. Her mother and father were actually not her real mother and father. In truth, she called them aunt and uncle though they were of no relation to her. In fact, she hadn't even been adopted by them. They took her in and cared for her, sending her to school and letting her have what she wanted. But she never forgot that they were not her real birth parents nor was she adopted by them. She was a lost soul to the government, a soul that was proclaimed dead from long ago.   
She only vaguely remembered scraps of her childhood, but most vividly the dark, cold days and nights she spent in the dark basement of some evil person's house. Then on an extremely cold night, she heard gunshots above on the upper floors of the grand mansion she never got to see. She heard screams, and feet pat-pattering in a staggered run, and she knew it was the mean man who had put her down in the basement. Even at eight, she had learned whose walking was whose; the long, ragged steps of the mean master or smooth, sailing, tiny steps of his large, ugly, prissy wife.  
She had been fed scraps, and sometimes she became ill from the rotten food. But she learned what to and what not to eat. The "people upstairs" didn't care if she starved. But sometimes, just sometimes, when she was really really sick, they would send some pills for her to take.  
She hadn't gone to school until after that fateful day she was taken in by the kind people in Australia. Before the "people upstairs" were killed and gone, she had learned to use her resources as best she could, her mind growing each day. A few days after being starved when nobody brought her any food, she finally realized she was free. The "people upstairs" no longer kept her barred in. The door had been blasted down in the fight, and the front door was easily opened. She dared not explore the house before running out into the dark night, but she certainly wished she could have. The house was wonderland to her eager eyes.  
Once outside, she ran in the dark for hours on end. At the postoffice, she found she was in Australia. She hardly remembered that she grew up in America, but she knew she was in a very different place. She walked, walked, walked, begging on the streets and knocking on doors for food. Finally, she ran into a plump, kindly woman who pitied her and brought her to her house. There she met her tall but very kind husband, and was given food and clothing.  
They sent her to the public school. Little did she know that they were good friends of her parents, but of course she never knew that, and the family did not know she was the missing twin. After all, they knew not as to how she came to be in Australia nor where she had come from. Juni looked nothing like Lora with her green and violet eyes and dark blonde raggedy hair.  
Quatre shook her shoulders gently. She had zoned out, remembering. She looked up, noticing that Quatre looked extraordinarily worried. He had asked her if she was okay. "Ye-yes, I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all."  
He didn't look convinced. "If you need anything, just ask, okay?"  
She nodded. "I didn't find out anything. There seems to be a lacking of information that we need."  
He scanned the screen. He saw tons of information. It wasn't like Juni to be like this. "Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should take a nap later."  
Juni nodded again. She rubbed her temples. Her head had begun to throb, and the room was spinning. "I-I gue--"   
Quatre caught her. She had almost fallen out of the chair. He picked her up without another word and gently put her on the bed in the spare room down the left hallway. She did not protest, though in fact if she tried she would have found that she couldn't. Things were all watery and out of proportion, and her headache was worsening. She felt a numb, dull ache all over her body, and she couldn't hear much. It was all a blurry fuzz to her.  
Quatre brought a glass of cold water and put it on the nightstand. Juni had fallen fast asleep, tired out from some unknown cause that Quatre had no idea of. He wondered what could have happened. He sat with her for a while, making sure she was definitely asleep. Then he went back to the computer, noticing it was still on her profile. He scanned it, seeing some blank areas where she must have deleted information. Her last name, her immediate family, her background, her birthplace, all deleted. He began to get suspicious, sitting quietly, comtemplating everything that had happened. He heard a faint crying, and at first he did not react to the sad sound. Then he realized it was Juni.   
He was at her side in a half-a-second. She had her eyes closed, her fingers in a death-grip on the covers. He felt her forehead. Burning. He tried to pry her icy cold fingers from the sheets, but to no avail. He brought a cool, moist towel and placed it on her forehead, brushing her hair away gently. He went to the kitchen [which was still a mess] and retrieved a hot water bottle to warm her hands.  
He was starting to become tired as well. Someone had to be told of her condition, and soon. But obviously she had wanted to make the team, to help out with the colonies and their situation. And besides, he was beginning to like her. If he told, there was a great chance she would be killed to rid the team of such a cheat and a liar without letting the rest of the world and the colonies know what they were doing. She knew too much about them already. He murmured to himself, "Oh, Juni, what have you done? What is going on?"  
  
  
Heero, Duo, and Relena waited in their respective hangars, seated in their Gerdams, readying for training. Duo was testing different moves out; without weaponry arms, of course. Uppercuts, left and right swings, blocks; he pretty much tested the entire system's agilty and quickness. The Opular's OS system was working quite well for its first run-through, though Duo, Reina, and Todousa were all at the disadvantage of using their Gerdams for so short a while. The other two had had much more practice.  
When the other two finally arrived, all three seasoned pilots gaped. Todousa was quite stunning; tall and muscular like the other two but for some reason gave onlookers a feeling of awe. [more like "whoa, he's hot!" ^_^;;;] Wearing the black uniform, his golden-tanned skin and streaked hair stood out against it. Reina could have been a model. Duo swore on it as he talked to Heero. She was wearing the black skirt and bolero-jacket, which completely contrasted her shock of long, wavy reddish hair.  
All three Gerdam hatches opened at once, the pilots dismounting via the handled cord. They met the others half-way with a warm welcome.  
"Hello!" Duo called out as he rappelled down the Opular. He began to attempt to wave with his free hand which caused him to start falling towards the ground at a faster rate. Not enjoying the feeling too well, he immediately stopped, but continued to try to wave. Relena was still new to the rappelling and had both hands firmly gripping the handle. Heero did not say anything, though he carefully watched Relena out of the corner of his eye to make sure she got down in one piece.  
Todousa grinned when he met them. "Pleased to meet you," he said warmly, shaking both Heero's and Duo's hands and kissing Relena's hand. "You are as beautiful as they say, Princess Relena." She blushed, and looked sideways at Heero. [he didn't look too happy but then again he wouldn't be happy, now would he? though he didn't look mad, either...]  
"Welcome to the team," Heero said rather stiffly, though it was to be expected. All three shook hands with Reina, who didn't seem at all the flirt as Todousa. She was actually quite shy, though it was easy to see she was friendly and somewhat humble.   
"Thank you." Her voice was not soft, but it was not harsh nor cold. "I was very happy to be accepted to join you. I hope we can accomplish our missions."  
She seemed very focused on saving the colonies and Earth. "It was and still is my dream to help the world and the colonies. I was brought up on Earth, as you know, and I believe in a free democracy. I hope the people will wish the same thing of peace and happiness."  
Todousa flashed a bright smile. "Listen to her. Just listen to the old speech!" He was laughing a little. Heero took an immediate dislike to the judgmental teenager, though he was judging him rather harshly himself.  
Reina whispered to Relena. "He's not always like this, trust me. He's really quiet and very calm. But he's touchy about his past and background, so don't try to ask anything of those lines."  
Relena nodded slightly. "Thank you. That will help quite a bit."  
Heero noticed the two whispering but did not interrupt. He turned swiftly on his heel and began to mount the Wing-Break once again. "Are we ready for practice?" He did not look back.  
"Right on!" Duo exclaimed, showing Reina the way to the Candonite. "You know how this thing works, right?"  
"I think so," she replied, though it wasn't very convincing. Duo's eyebrows went up in uncertainty. She looked down. She was muscular for a girl, as one would expect her to be because she was a gymnast. She was medium in height, a few inches shorter than Duo; she was younger, after all. Her strawberry-blonde hair was quite long, although it would never be compared in length to Duo's mile-long shock of hair growing from the top of his head to a little above his knees when let down. She explained that normally it would be put up in a braided knot, however today being special she left it down. Duo nodded; he understood the troubles with long hair completely.  
The Candonite sat with two spotlights shining upon it, leading a very awestruck Reina to gasp. "Th-that's the C-candonite?" she wavered, very stunned and rather nervous.  
Duo grinned. "Yep. Your Gerdam. Isn't it a beauty?" He enjoyed watching her face go from awed to delight to just plain happiness.  
"Yes, it is definitely something," she breathed. Her eyes were shining like stars. Then they grew dim. "But I do not find happiness in using it for the job it must do, even if it is for the good of the Earth and the colonies."  
Duo sobered also. It was a sad, sad thing that these wonderful mobile suits had to be used for killing purposes. It ruined their entire view on the Gerdam's reputations [if they had any] and anything to do with them. "I guess you'd better get situated," he remarked suddenly, breaking the eerie silence that dropped like a blanket over the room. He gave her the rappelling cord and told her what to do. Soon she was in the cockpit. He began to shout basic instructions, then turned to the Opular.  
They walked, stomping through the different hallways to meet in the mobile doll hangar where they were to fight them. The mobile dolls this time were black and purple, colors which reminded Duo of Hilde. [he shook those thoughts out of his head much quicker than Heero could ever do with Relena for some strange reason...Heero should have been quicker but seemed unable to do so]  
Practice went well for all of them, each getting the practice they needed. The new recruits adjusted immediately, and Duo had no problem getting used to the Opular and the OS system used in it. They talked over it afterwards, remembering all the action required. Duo remarked suddenly that the invisibility option would also make him invisible to the others, which Reina had asked before. She didn't seem too pleased when she heard that the Deathscythe Hel* plans for the older invisibilty options had leaked out and some of the enemy also had the older version of invisibility options. But all five had the radar to sense these invisible enemies, so they would have no problem. [That's the problem when you copy someone else's plans. They know how to detect them.]  
  
  
Juni opened her eyes. The sun was setting outside the little barred window near the ceiling, and she could tell it was near or past dinnertime. She wondered what had happened. The last thing she remembered was seeing Quatre's green-blue eyes, large and very worried. She sat up slowly.  
Quatre heard the sheets rustling, walking quickly to the spare room on the topmost floor in the underground hideaway. He knocked gently before opening the door, though it would've been the same if he didn't knock. He was going in, no matter what she said.   
Juni turned, surprised. "Oh, hello, Quatre. What's going on?" Her eyes were bright, and all the symptoms of her previous illness had disappeared.  
Quatre shook his head slowly, sitting down in the chair he had moved near the bedstand. He put his hand up to her forehead. "Fever's almost gone. You collapsed...almost like you fainted. You don't remember anything?"  
She thought for a minute. She looked out at the sky, which was starting to turn darker blue and purple. She smiled. "Nope. But that doesn't really matter, does it? I'm alive."  
Quatre didn't say anything after that. He thought to himself, "Isn't it ironic? That's what I'm supposed to be saying. But I can't...I can't. Because not everything is all right. It does matter. And the whole this is my fault." He sighed. When would he learn to correct his mistakes?  
  
  
  
Will Quatre blame himself forever? 


	8. Part 8 [to be cont]

"Where are you taking us?" Reina asked, putting a hand on Duo's elbow.  
Duo's arm jerked a little, and though it was only the tiniest bit, Reina could feel the tension that overtook the entire arm. "The condominium. I think your room is next to Relena's, which is across from Heero's."  
Todousa was whistling a melancholy tune softly, pausing every now and then. He stopped abruptly and spoke. "Don't want to bother you, but where am I to be put up for the night?"  
"In the main living room." Heero's answers were always precise. He spoke in a clipped, short way. Both Relena and Duo were startled by his coldness, but not surprised. They had their share of his coldness plenty of times before, and both had been threatened to be killed by Heero. So they definitely expected the worst with Heero and meeting other people for the first time.  
Todousa did not seem to mind, though. "I suppose I will always get what I get," he commented, trailing off. He became quiet, remembering.  
The five walked on in silence. Duo opened the door, then stepped aside for the rest of them to enter. He looked behind him before going in himself, and spotted something stuck in the imitation brick wall. He pulled at it. It was an envelope.  
"I wonder whose this is," he muttered to himself. He looked at the front. It was written in another language that reminded him of the Sumerian writing from way back when. "Damn. Oh well. I'll bring it in to show the others." He turned and closed the door gently behind him.  
  
Quatre was sitting at his desk, drinking from a terra-cotta mug filled to the brim with green tea. Printed on the rough surface of the mug, "peace in the world" in deep green told of Quatre's seriousness about pacifism. A calculator sat on one end of the desk, a pile of papers and maps on the other. A calendar and a planner were skewed across the center, as well as some loose leaves and a few pens, pencils, an eraser, clips, and a few envelopes. He set the cup down and picked up a black ink pen.  
"Only a few more to go," he murmured, signing another paper and adding it to the stack. Juni was on the computer in the other room, trying to get into the main database of the Zumin's inventory of supplies and also for the data on the pilots that were going to use the new mobile suits they had heard about. They didn't seem to be any better than any of themselves.  
Juni paused and looked up from the keyboard. She wondered about what happened the day before quite a bit, pondering whether she should tell Quatre the whole truth. It was extremely difficult keeping it all in now that something had happened. Quatre was already suspicious, and she would have to be very careful from now on if she was going to keep it a secret. "Have you finished your paperwork yet, Quatre?" she inquired gently, glancing over her glasses.  
Quatre looked up, startled. "Umm...almost. How about you?" He signed another sheet with fluorish, the pen making a clean swipe under his name.  
Juni began typing again. "The pilots aren't any better than any of our pilots," she commented, scrolling down. She stopped, surprised. "Though this one seems very similar to Wufei. Astonishingly similar." She wondered if she said it too abruptly.  
"Mmm," he replied, peering at a packet. Suddenly he opened his left drawer and pulled out an i.d. form. "It can't possibly be Wufei. But here is his i.d. You can compare it, if you wish. But I don't...it can't be him! He wouldn't be a traitor!" It was then that Juni realized her folly, reaching to get the form from a very upset Quatre.   
"It may not be him, Quatre. I'll double-check, but I agree with you," she explained gently, trying to ease the shock. She should've said it in pieces, broken it down so the shock would not be so great. Quatre, once friends, trusted them greatly.  
Quatre took a long swig of his tea before returning to his signing. He only had three more to go, then a bill to sign. But he would have to compose the mission plan after that, so he tried to hurry.  
Juni felt helpless. The i.d. form almost matched exactly to the profile on the screen. She had to investigate somehow to prove Wufei wasn't one of them. There had to be a way. She scrolled up and down, ideas at a standstill in her brain. She weakly put the form down and turned to Quatre, who had just finished his papers.  
"Quatre," she said. She wasn't sure how to tell him.  
He didn't seem phased at all. "It's not him, is it?" He walked over. "Black hair, brown eyes, Chinese, name, Li Po Shen. Very unsociable." He paused, thinking it over in his mind. "Sounds like Wufei, all right," he finally said. "But how can we be sure that it's not a fake? A bluff?"  
Juni didn't know how to respond. "I don't know. But I'm assuming you'll wish to tell the others now? Or at least, as soon as we possibly can?"  
Quatre nodded mutely. He was in a daze. "We can call up Heero. We need to inform Trowa, too."  
Juni looked sideways at him. His face was stony and impassive. She didn't know what to think. Quatre was never like this.  
  
  
"So what does it say? Can you read it?" Duo questioned impatiently, peering at the paper that he found, now in Heero's hands. He looked at the others.  
Heero was getting frustrated. Duo's nagging was bad enough, but what was worse was he couldn't read the note, either. He had just set it down when three raps sounded on the door, then burst open. Juni and Quatre stood before it, rather odd looks on their faces. Quatre leaned against the doorframe, closing his eyes. Juni put her hand on his shoulder and looked at him. He looked very shaken.  
"What is it?" Todousa quickly asked, standing up. Duo and Heero also stood.  
Juni spoke for Quatre. "We have found something strange in the Zumin pilot database. It may be Wufei."  
Shock rang through the dead-silent room. Todousa did not know who this Wufei was, but he knew that he was a friend of the others. Relena did not know Wufei very well, either, but she did know that he had also been one of the former Gundam pilots.  
"How do you know this?" Heero asked, walking over to them. Juni handed him some papers, and he quickly read them. The content was all there, and he knew what he needed to know. "This may be a bluff," he said, but he didn't look convinced. He knew, as well as the other former Gundam pilots, that Wufei was a soloist, a solitary soul in his lust for Justice. But he was quite the same. He couldn't say much.  
Quatre walked slowly behind Juni, pulling out her chair for her to sit in it. But his eyes looked distant, like someone lost in his own world. Dark circles sagged under his eyes in bags. He looked exhausted. Weary and betrayed, he had worked himself to a state of illness. Heero and Duo were concerned and tried to get him to lie down.  
"Have to..." he paused. "Have to inform--Trowa," he managed to croak out. Then he sat down, hard, right on the floor. He closed his eyes, curled up, and fell asleep, right then and there.  
"What did he do?" Duo inquired, looking at Juni. "He must've been really working at it. But he did a good job."  
Juni frowned. "All things he does are for his friends. You should be grateful. He's been working on this case for a long time, trying to draw up plans so nothing will go astray to his fault. He doesn't want you to be left in too great of peril if he can help it."  
"We will always meet peril," Todousa said softly, looking at the ground.  
Juni heard him, but she made no reply.  
Heero glanced behind him at the now-silent Todousa. "If we seek peril we will most definitely meet peril. It is our own doing. But what else do we need to know?"  
By now Duo had gotten Quatre on the sofa, with the help of Todousa. They returned and listened as Juni laid out the plans they had so far. But Todousa reminded them that Trowa had to be informed, as Quatre wished it to be.  
"We don't have time to waste," Heero answered.  
Duo looked at him, aghast. "But Quatre must have a reason."  
Heero looked at him, indecisive. The entire ordeal was completely off-track. He had to bring it back before it became an impossible task, even for him. "Juni can report to Trowa. We need to move out." He turned and walked away, hands in pockets, towards the hangar. "Remember the plan."  
"We'll meet you later!" Duo called, one arm up. "Right now, the Opular and I are gonna take some people out to the graveyard for a little visit," he declared, grinning. As much as he hated killing, he felt loathe to idleness. "What's he going to do in space alone? He can't do anything."  
Todousa shook a shock of hair out of his eyes. "You under-estimate your team-mate," he commented. "And yet you feel inclined to degrade them?"  
"No, and I understand them to be compliments, if that's the way you're thinking," Duo replied, eyebrows raised. He turned away. "And he doesn't think of it as a team. He's alone in this battle."  
Relena added to that statement. "In all battles."  
Reina had watched the entire scene silently. It was almost as if they were bickering, arguing as brothers would. And Heero and Duo knew each other well enough to be cousins, but never brothers. Heero was far too detached. Only, strange enough, she could've sworn she saw something between Heero and Relena. But she jumped to no conclusions. She was impatient, but waited for evidence to create her own ideas, right or wrong. Quatre was a good friend to all, never a kinder soul than he. She hadn't really paid much attention to Juni, being that she only saw her once or twice so far, but she could tell she was a good person. She hoped they would become friends.  
Juni turned and laid a hand on Quatre's forehead. "No fever," she said, relieved. Reina came up and looked at Quatre. He was sleeping, but even then his face was not in peace. Something was going over in his mind, an idea of some sort that worried and frustrated him, a troublesome thought. Then she felt it.  
"Juni," she began, looking at her strangely.  
"Mmhmm? Is something wrong?"  
Reina looked again at Quatre's face. His lips were moving, but there was no sound. She examined them more closely. Juni bent down and watched, also.  
He was saying, "Juni, why? Why? Juni?"  
  
  
[author's note: It took me a LONG time just to get this far, and I feel that this fic is beginning to be a drag. But maybe not. Please give me your feedback, because I might just end it somewhere in the next fic or two; if I even get that far. If I do, however, it will be quite a while because of school and homework and everything. So be patient, if you are actually waiting! If you have any tips or anything, they are greatly appreciated because writing can always be improved. Arigatou, thank you very much! ^_~] 


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